Of a Hero's Ashes
by CaEzLi
Summary: The green fields of Hyrule have been battling the sandy deserts of the Gerudo for countless centuries. However, the tides turn in favor of the Gerudo when Hyrule falls. Within the chaos is a band is misfit teenagers, who find an ocarina. What does it do?
1. Chapter 1

**_Of a Hero's Ashes  
_**_  
Chapter 1_

Torches flickered in the moonlight, casting looming shadows of objects and random décor that fitted around the streets. They crackled and sizzled with awaiting anticipation, illuminating the town until dawn.

If one looked hard enough, they could see the shadow of a dark clad, hooded figure making its way swiftly down the cobblestone streets, padding without hesitation. It came to a halt behind a building, looking around the corner and into a guarded alleyway.

"Why in Din's name did you offer to be a night guard?" A heavily clad Hylian guard rumbled, low and steady. His armor shined in the torches light, and his spear was held firmly grasped in his right hand. It was large, standing at least foot taller than the man holding it.

"Why, I thought it'd be fun!" The other, obviously younger and smaller one commented sarcastically. "We need the money of course."

"Pah, Rupees. Why must you torture me with lack of sleep?" The first one rumbled back.

The hooded figure waited in silence, watching the two guards carefully.

The younger one shrugged, "At least you can go back to your wife happy!"

"And tired."

"That too." The younger one beamed. He leaned on his spear for support, looking around the alley.

The hooded figure moved in as quickly as it could, dashing past the two guards. They blinked with blank faces as it swept past them, knocking them both to their knees.

"Hey," The older one stumbled to his feet as quickly as his aged legs could. "Get back here!"

"Heh," The hooded figure stopped. "Guards are quite amusing."

"So is your head in the gallows! Are you the one running around stealing stuff at night?"

"Of course he isn't!" The younger one commented when he was on his feet. "He just happens to look exactly like the wanted posters!"

"You mean these?" The hooded figure held up a handful of posters it tore down, pointing to them with the other hand. "Why, they don't portray me accurately! I feel scammed!"

The guards both tightened their grips on the spears they held, their armor shifting as they moved.

The hooded figure felt a smirk pry at his lips, tightening the grip on the hilt of his sword that was carefully placed in the handmade sheathe attached to his belt after he tucked the posters away. Oh, this'll be fun./i

"Who are you to question Hylian guard authority, anyway?" The older one bellowed again.

The figure sighed. "That's the problem with you guards," He paused, unhanding his sword and bringing his hand up to give a hand gesture, "you over abuse your power. How incredibly bad is it for a guy like me to go around stealing things for other people?"

"The intentions are good, the process is bad. Now turn yourself in before we take you by force!" The guard now gripped his spear with two hands, grunting as he pointed it horizontally.

"Hm," The hooded figure though, tapping his chin. He smiled after a few moments, his hand slithering back to his concealed sword. "No thanks."

In the blink of an eye, the hooded figure leaped up, sword drawn and ready to attack. He came down on the younger guard first, clanking his sword against the tip of the spear.

The younger guard responded by slashing sideways as the figure landed in front of him, showing that he obviously had little military training. He poked and prodded in all directions, all failing to even scratch his opponent.

Suddenly, a hand ceased the hood of the figure and ripped it back, tearing off the top.

The older guard stood behind the now exposed man, a ripped and mangled piece of cloth in his gloved hands, along with a few strands of golden hair.

"You!" He yelled. "That boy, I know you… boy… name… what is your name!"

The boy felt his blonde bangs shift back into place as he rubbed the back of his throbbing head, streaming down over his bright blue eyes and in front of his long, pointed ears. The world suddenly seemed brighter as the hood was torn away, though the boy's head felt cold and exposed.

"Hey!" He yelled back. "Give me my hat back!"

In the guards hands was not only the brown cloth of the hood but the green hat the cloaked man always wore.

"Oh yeah you're that kid! Link, I think it is? Bah, you seem older from the last time I saw you fleeing from the guards. What was that for again, more theft?"

"I steal only what I deem necessary." Link protested back. He held out his heavily gloved hand. "Now hand the hat over or you'll experience a beating that you've never felt before."

The younger guard snickered, "Doubt it could be as worse than what his mother did to him."

The older man gave a sharp look to the younger guard, instantly shutting him up and making the laughter die down. He then looked back at Link with an amusing smile. "I don't take threats from teenage boys who think they're all powerful."

Link felt his anger reach a new level. Sure he was young, but being mocked for that was enough to set him over the edge. He was already mocked and made fun of daily for how he acted and what he wore, but being picked on for age seemed too low to sink for a Hylian guard. He clenched and unclenched his fist, reaching his hand out further. "Just give the hat back and I'll leave quietly."

"No more stealing?"

"No promises."

"Then, no," The guard opened up his helmet, smiling down at Link. "Now why don't you run off and do whatever boys your age do?"

Swiftly and suddenly, Link lashed out at the guard, snatching the two ripped pieces of cloth from his hands. With a satisfied 'hmph', Link positioned the green hat back on his head and stuffed the ripped and mangled piece of cloth into a pouch connected to his tunic. He turned around, folding his arms and sighing again.

"Because, most guys my age run around looking pathetic like that guy over there." Link gestured to the younger guard with a slight, sly smile.

"Hey!" He protested.

"Now, if you'll so kindly excuse me," Link unfolded his arms and dashed back down the alleyway, sliding around a corner and sinking into the shadows. The torch next to the guard flickered, the fire swaying and crackling as some wind picked up.

* * *

The town was going at full speed by the time it hit high noon. The sun glowed brightly high above the sky as people lined up at stalls and buildings around the market. Pushing and shoving, they extended their hands to items lined up on the carts and counters while others filled up their bowls and bags with food products or other possessions.

Within the rustle of the crowd was a young Hylian girl, appearing to be in her teenage years, looking around with wide blue eyes. Her swaying brown hair reached her mid-back, stretching down even longer as she tilted her head up to look at the roofs of the buildings.

Though she hated to admit it, she enjoyed the rustle of the market row. Despite its awkward appearance and mobs of people, it was interesting to look around at all of the stalls and buildings that people sold from. She passed by a windows, marveling at jewelry, food, and other items. Blinking as she saw something inside one building, she pressed her face against the glass. Immediately, she dashed around and through the open doors of the shop.

Sitting there with arms full of fruit was her best friend. Her short brown hair came to just above her shoulders in front of her long ears, and her brown eyes were gleaming as she stuffed food into her mouth.

"Star?"

"Blue! Hah, you've got to try this!"

She jammed an awkward looking piece of food into Blue's mouth and in turn did the same to herself. "I bought it from a stall not that far down the road from this one." She said through a mouthful.

Blue coughed and sputtered as she spat the fruit out onto the ground. She shivered, wiping her mouth off with the backside of her hand. "Geez, Star, what the heck is that?"

"I dunno', but if you don't like it, more for me!" She jumped out of her chair, nearly losing the haul in her hands in the process, and then smiled. "I didn't expect to see you here, what're you doing?"

Blue hesitated to respond, but didn't hold back completely, "I come here all the time."

"All the time? I wouldn't think a girl like you would come here all that often."

Blue's face twisted, "Well, then you obviously don't know me all the well, apparently."

Star didn't answer, only stuffed more of another type of food into her mouth. She gnawed on it happily and nodded to Blue, not seeming to understand the statement. Blue sighed, knowing her friend could get a little narrow minded at times.

"So," Star said around a mouthful of food. "Any plans for today?"

"No, why?" Blue questioned.

"Just asking," She swallowed. "Anyway, would you mind helping me carry this back to my place?"

Blue nodded quietly. She walked over and extended her hands out as Star set half of the items she had into them. Blue grunted, finding it awkwardly heavy but attempted not to show any fatigue.

They walked out of the shop and quietly along the walkways, brushing past the crowds of people that lined them. The sun was still burning right in the middle of the sky. Not much time had passed. Blue shifted her weight to avoid ramming into a little boy as he sped past with a toy in his hands, his mother close on his heels. Blue smiled brightly at the two, but her smile quickly faded as she bumped into Star.

They came to a halt at a corner as Star peered around, trying to locate her house.

"This way!" She pointed to the distance and started running. Blue tightened her grip on the items in her hand and ran after her.

"Wait up!" Blue managed to call out as Star came to a stop. She panted heavily, gasping. "What in Din's name… Star, what did you buy?"

"Just stuff," She commented back. "I'll take the rest of it. Wait right here, I'll be right back."

Star took the items in Blue's hands and took off up the small flight of steps that led to her house. The house was beautiful on the outside, lined with banners and designs that nearly covered the bricks that hid underneath the cloth. The only life it showed, however, was a few flowers in a pot next to the steps Star had climbed. Blue sighed, waiting patiently.

Suddenly, a figure dashed past on the other side of the alley that lined Star's house. Blue blinked, leaning to the side a little to look, but the figure was no longer there. Ignoring Star's order to stay where she was, she padded quietly down the alley, keeping her hands on the brick walls and attempting to be stealthy.

She peered around the corner to see a young man probably just a bit older than she was crouching low and looking out the other side of the building. He wore an awkward green tunic, and strapped to his belt was a sword which was dragging on the ground as he moved while trying to keep low. She could only see the back of his head, which was covered in a long, green, pointy hat. He had heavy brown boots and leather gloves as well, both firmly planted on the ground as he looked onward.

"Hey!" Blue whispered, trying to grab the boy's attention.

Suddenly, he veered around, standing up straight to catch sight of her. His hair popped out and down to reach his eyes in bright blonde locks. He blinked twice before he pulled out his sword, holding it defensively.

"Oh," Blue held up her hands, coming into full view for him. "I didn't mean to startle you! What're you doing?"

"Nothing. Wait… what… who are you?" He questioned back, his voice light, showing it hadn't changed fully yet.

"I'm err', Elle! I was just wondering why you were sitting there and looking out like you were some kind of criminal." Blue smiled.

"I, uhm," he paused, offering a fake, obviously worried smile. "Yeah, I was just… looking around. I was avoiding the traffic of the road."

Blue narrowed her eyes and looked at him cautiously.

"What's your name?" She questioned.

"Well, that depends. Has anyone been mentioning anything about a boy named Link? You know, if you find him you should turn him in to the authorities?"

Blue blinked at his rather awkward comment, speaking slowly, "Ah… uh… no?"

"Good then!" He perked up, sheathing his sword, which made a hissing sound as it slid back into its worn down holder. "My name is Link, nice to meet you Elle."

Blue wondered briefly if she should tell him her real name, but her thoughts were interrupted by a hand grabbing her hair before she was able to respond to Link's comment. "Ah! Owowowow!"

"Didn't I tell you to stay over- Oh hello!" Star let go of Blue's hair immediately and looked at Link. Blue grabbed the back of her head where Star had pulled and scowled. "I'm Star Singer, nice to meet ya'!"

Link nodded, "Pleasure to meet you too. I assume you're friends?"

"Yep! Besties' to the end, right Blue? Oh, this is Blue Oscabellow!" Star introduced her properly.

Hearing her name, she cringed back, looking at Star and glancing at Link slowly.

Link raised an eyebrow and closed his eyes halfway, folding his arms across his broad chest. "Elle, huh?"

"Surprise?" Blue offered with a weak smile and a shrug.

Link pursed his lips, his stance shifting uneasily. "Am I really that intimidating?" He asked awkwardly. "I don't mean to be, I assure you I'm-"

"You're fine." Blue interrupted him. "But why are you crouching around?"

"Well, I uh…" He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck and glancing in all directions. "You see, I…"

Star and Blue exchanged a glance. Star's face twisted into a smile as she looked away from Blue and to Link. "Live around here?

"Kinda' sorta'." He replied. "I live wherever I want; I'm kind of a loner."

A loner in the city? He barely looked of age to live alone in his own house, let alone be a loner. Blue eyed him, realizing he did have the outlook of one. He looked well kept, but his clothes were a tad ragged and worn, and his sheathe was nicked in a few places and ground down on the end from crouching down and dragging on the stone. He was broad shouldered and clearly had muscles under his tunic, showing he was quite active but attempted to conceal himself. He obviously wasn't a city boy.

"So you're a rogue?" Star questioned.

Link looked her over, nodding. "Putting it that way, yeah."

"You have a family?" Blue questioned just as Star did right after he cut his sentence off. Link looked at her awkwardly, furrowing his brows. Blue blinked, the fear she felt rising in her throat. Should they really trust a rogue they just met?

"Yeah," He said finally. "I visit with them every now and again. I have a horse I consider family as well. Why am I being asked all these-"

Star perked up, jumping slightly as she interrupted. "A horse? You know how to ride?"

"Of course I-"

"You've gotta' teach me! I've always wanted to ride a horse!" Star rushed up to him, stopping and peering into his face.

Link took a slight step back, twisting his features. "I, uh-"

"Please?" Star said in her puppy-dog tone. She folded her hands under her chin, dazzling brown eyes searching his face.

Blue walked up right behind her friend. She placed a hand on Star's shoulder and pulled her backwards. "Sorry. My friend here can be a little… eccentric."

Link smiled in amusement, "I see." From this close Blue could see his face clearly. Scars lined his face in a few areas, especially one deep one that ran horizontally right under his left eye. She tensed for a moment, squeezing Star's shoulder, but eventually let go.

The clatter of steel came from behind the three of them, and Link jerked up, drawing his sword again, though making sure this time it didn't make that much of a metallic hiss. Blue took a few paces away, but stayed within range. The streets outside seemed to be clearing ever so slightly and the sun was no longer right above them, telling her that time had passed.

"Are those guards?" Star turned her head to look behind her. "Why would guards come here?"

"I don't know, Star." Blue rolled her eyes, "Protect their city?"

"No one asked for your opinion, miss sarcastic." Star glared.

With a flash of green, Link was gone in a heartbeat, leaving the girls blinking in surprise as the patrol they had heard walked casually past them.

**_

* * *

_****_  
Authors Note_**:

OKAY! I know, I suck. But trust me, It'll get better in time.

Anyway, thanks for letting me take up your time with this stuff. =3 No really, thanks for reading. Constructive criticism appreciated.

This story is also up on the website DeviantArt.

*I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of Shigeru Miyamoto's characters. All of them rightfully belong to Nintendo.*


	2. Chapter 2

**_Of a Hero's Ashes_**_  
_  
_Chapter 2_

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir, very positive sir!"

The room was dully lighted with one candle, no windows and no other source of light. Two figures stood calmly, both clad in heavy dark capes. One was gruff and large and displayed a sense of uneasiness as he spoke in his low voice, stroking his medium sized red beard. His face bore signs of age, displaying his old stature. Nonetheless, he looked ready and able to fight.

The smaller of the two was clad in a dark cape as well, and he appeared much younger. He looked to be around his teenage years, but he had his fair share of red facial hair as well. He was lean and built, but his voice had not fully matured.

"So," The older man bellowed with a slight laugh in his voice. "When can I expect this little Hero?"

The younger man stiffened, clenching his heavily gloved fists. He took in a sharp breath, letting it out in a short and fast sentence. "You want him to find you father?"

"Of course I do, what's the point of being King of the Gerudo? I want the little squirt to find me. How old did you say he was again?"

"He looked to be about sixteen, father, give or take a year. But why would you-"

"Excellent! Does he know of his little planned destiny yet?"

"No father. But I do not think the Light Spirit will hold off on telling him this important thing much long-"

"Then we either attack or wait." The older man interrupted. He stroked his beard thoughtfully for a few moments as the two stood in silence, humming while thinking and digging through his head for answers.

"Father, if I might suggest-"

With the simple wave of a hand, the older man silenced his son. "Well, we have the element of surprise, don't we? Why don't we pay a visit to Hyrule and make sure we leave our mark. If the little guy has no idea who he is, then it's better for us. Who knows, perhaps we'll end the War here?" He chuckled after his sentence.

The younger man blinked and took down his hood, fidgeting with his hands after they returned back to his sides. "What if the Light Spirit tells him of his destiny before we arrive? It'll be days until we reach Hyrule Castle with an army on foot."

"Which is why I will bring a small elite team, don't worry. I do not plan to lose my life to a boy who barely knows who he really is."

The younger one blinked, gritting his teeth, obviously not agreeing to what his father was planning.

"And what was his name?" The older man smiled thoughtfully.

"Link, sir."

* * *

Link weaved his way through the crowds, trying to keep his sword concealed as he pushed through the throngs of people. He came to a halt at the large brick city gates, looking at the wooden bridge which allowed access across the mote that wrapped around the entire city.

He took off at a running start, jumping onto a jumble of crates near the city walls. The stables lay just outside the city, and he wanted to avoid the guards at all costs after his encounter with the others last night. Of course the Guard would be looking for him, now that they know his name and face.

Link scanned the wall, trying to find anywhere he could climb up. Picking out a vine, he leapt off the crates and extended a hand, grabbing the vegetation. He swung himself around, grabbing the vine with his other hand to get a secure grip. Using the vine like a rope, he began to crawl upward, heaving himself with every lunge.

After a few minutes, he reached the top, sputtering for breath as he threw himself over the edge to lie on the top of the wall and breathe heavily.

"Well, that was harder than it looked." Link drew himself up, still out of breath, and looked over the edge at the vast field Hyrule ruled. There was a gentle breeze, swaying the bushes and grass gently as they reflected the sun's bright rays off of them. He smiled for a second, marveling at the view. Unfortunately, he could not stay long. The familiar clanking sound of armor sounded as guards walked along the tops of the wall. Link jumped over the edge, landing on the stables roof not far down. He grunted as he landed, but the impact was not enough to hurt him severely. He jumped down again, landing on the ground with another thud and a rustle against a few bushes.

The guards on the outsides of the gate didn't seem to notice him, so Link scanned the sides of the stables until he reached the entrance. Not a second later did he spot Epona, his rusty colored mare, standing contently in a stall.

"Hey Epona, shhh. We're getting out of here for a bit before the guards actually start looking for me." He walked up to his mare and patted her head gently as he spoke.

He threw the blanket and saddle over Epona, leaning down to fasten the leather straps securely in place. He took the bridle and slung it over her head, fitting the front piece in her mouth and draping the reins so he could steer.

Finally, he stuffed the saddlebags with oats and other materials before he placed one boot in the step hanging off the end of the saddle and climbed up to seat himself on his horse.

"Quietly," He reminded her, patting her mane as they exited the stables. Link ducked his head to avoid the top of the door. When they reached the grass, he spurred Epona, signaling her to pick up speed. They streaked across the fields, Castle Town fading in the distance behind them.

"Next stop, Lon Lon Ranch."

* * *

Blue stood still, arms folded and her feet shoulder width apart as her brother happily played with a wooden toy in his room. Tye was no more than the age of nine while Blue was sixteen, but him aging was not something everyone was looking forward too.

Not far away sat her mother, her eyes fixed on something outside the glassy window that was in the room, nothing in particular. Her mother was a bit aged, grey hairs showing in her streaks of brown, but she was still strong spirited and never portrayed her true age.

Then, another figure appeared out of the corner of her eye. Blue glanced leftward to find her "friend", with the emphasis on the air quotes. He nudged her on the side before placing a hand around her shoulders.

"Jake? You're not around at this time." She commented, placing her chin on his shoulder.

"Why, can't drop in?" He commented with a smug look plastered on the side of his face. He bore no scars on a flawless, grinning face, and he had no intentions on getting any or joining the militia either. He had short, black hair, and a bit of stubble had begun to form around his jaw line as well. And hidden under his features were dull green eyes that barely had depth to them, but they were just as anyone else's.

After thinking for a moment, Blue sighed to herself. He had no plans on joining the militia, the guard, or even a spot close to helping the citizens of Hyrule. That was the only thing they would disagree on. Blue had her visions set on working and training strenuously to get recruited, and being female, it made it downright near impossible.

"Can't I?" Jake questioned again, tightening his grip around her shoulders. Blue blinked out of her trance, realizing she was staring off into space.

"Oh, yes. I don't mind." She struggled to comprehend for a moment, trying to shake the thoughts from her head and focus again.

Jake laughed amusingly at her, smiling wider. "Good. So have any plans for the rest of your evening?"

Blue smiled back, "No, not at all. Unless that is, Star comes by and demands my attention for a moment."

Jake's face scrunched at the thought, but it quickly loosened. "Oh, well, do you mind if I hang around here for a bit before I head home then?"

"Nope! That is, unless you don't want to deal with little nine year olds."

"I'm not little!" Tye's squeaky voice sounded out. "I know that's a very little kid thing to say, but I'm not little!" He was staring at them from across the hall.

Jake's hand immediately fell from Blue's shoulders and back to his side. He laughed again while replying. "No, I don't mind dealing with your big brother, as long as you keep your distance, bucka'roo."

Tye blinked once, letting his mouth go to an 'o'. He nodded a moment later, looking back down at his toy.

"We'll build a cage if he gets out of hand," Blue smirked as a hand was draped back over her shoulders, though this time it pulled her aside.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Then we can sell him for some quick money."

"Now that is an idea…"

* * *

Link came to a halt in front of the ranch, pulling Epona lightly to get her to slow down as they approached the gate. The ranch was nowhere near the size of Castle Town, which made him more comfortable. He would be quite content living in a ranch for the rest of his life instead of running through the city as a wanted man.

"Malon!" He called out, not trying that hard though. "Talon?"

Suddenly, an ominous figure popped up in front of Epona, startling her as Link pulled her to a swift stop. She reared back, neighing.

"Ingo?" Link exclaimed. "What were you thinking, we could have killed you!"

The gloomy man did nothing but scowl while he pointed a pitchfork. "Why are you here? We do not enjoy criminal low lives like you on our ranch!" Link leaned backwards in his saddle, staring at the weapon being held at him.

"Mister Ingo," Malon shouted from the barn. "Who are you harassing _now_?"

Ingo snarled, pulling his pitchfork back as the red-headed farm girl appeared from the doorway.

"Oh! Link, nice to see you! Why are you here?" She bounded up quite happily, folding her hands in front of her dirt covered apron. "Sorry I'm a mess, I didn't expect company."

"Ah, I'm not staying long. Just for the night until the guards stop looking for me. I'll get back to Castle Town in the morning when they lower the gates and the guards change their shifts."

Malon looked at him gravely. "They're looking for you?"

"Yeah," He shrugged, attempting to lie. "It's… nothing important. It's a misunderstanding. I'll just lay low for a night. It's fine." He smiled brightly.

She nodded, "Well, would you like a-"

"I'll be fine outside. 'Sides, it's nice out here without the bustle of the city."

"Okay," She replied with an unsure sound in her voice, but she didn't question anymore. "Make yourself at home then! Check in with Daddy."

Link smiled, hopping off Epona and allowing Malon to take a hold of the reins and lead her to a stall. Ingo walked to the side where a bale of hay was and began turning it with the pitchfork he had. Link attempted to ignore the man and made his way to the farmhouse. Before he even had time to knock on the door, it flew open.

"Link!" Talon greeted him, his gigantic hand sticking out and grabbing the teens. "So nice to see you, I saw you arrive and was wondering if you were going to drop by and say hi to me!"

"Thank you sir," Link gritted out, attempting to shake back with his hand being crushed. "But I was wondering if I could stay here for the night? Your daughter said-"

"That's perfectly alright!" He laughed out, letting go of the boy's throbbing hand. Link shook it out behind his back, feeling the blood pulse through it painfully. He faked a smile and nodded in thanks.

After he was done talking with Talon, Link walked back outside. He could at least enjoy the night before he returned to Castle Town. It had gradually grown darker in his few minutes inside, so he guessed it was pretty late already. The stars in the dark blue had already begun to set and twinkle in the sky.

_Stars in a blue sky…_

He furrowed his brows in thought. What did those girls want when they came over to meet him? No normal Hylian girls would walk up to a guy crouched up in an alley and say hi, unless, y'know, they were crazy. For all they knew he could of lashed out and attacked them. Perhaps they were plotting against him, which would explain why Guards had shown up so quickly after Star arrived. With a sigh, he slumped down in the stack of hay Ingo had been turning and placed his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and laid back to relax. Whatever and whoever they were, he figured he wouldn't see them again anyway, so no use worrying now.

* * *

Morning came quicker than expected, and Blue blinked awake hazily to see a blurry figure standing above her. She brought up her hands and rubbed her eyes, trying to get her vision to adjust to the light suddenly flowing to them.

"Sissy?" Tye's little voice came out.

"Mmm, what?" Blue grunted.

"Mommy was looking for you."

Blue immediately sat up, shaking her head to get out of her foggy feeling. She rifled through her cabinets and brought out a simple shirt and baggy short-pant combo. Tye immediately fled the room as Blue began to change out of her nightclothes and into the new, fresh ones.

She bounded out of her room, fixing her hair the best she could before she stopped in the main room where her mother was standing.

She did not look pleased.

"Morning, mother," Blue acknowledged her.

"More like good _afternoon_, did you stay up all night?"

"Well, Jake didn't leave till- and I had a lot of things to do after and-" She stumbled over her own words, cutting herself off at times.

"I don't care about your excuses. Now come on, get to work." Her mother ushered her along. Blue followed her orders and went along carrying out her household duties. With her father killed during the war when she was little, Tye was the only man of the household. And since the boy had no idea how to run a house, her mother, and Blue, were forced to carry out extra things to keep the house going.

After a while, Blue jumped down the steps that led to her house and jogged down the cobblestone roads that would lead her to the market to buy a few items for her family before it got too late. The day had seemed to of whizzed by since she slept in.

And while looking around for the right stall, there he was.

Clad in his original green tunic and awkward pointy green hat was the boy… _Link_! That's what his name was. He looked as if he was trying to blend in with the crowd, but was obviously failing to do so since Blue could spot him from far away. She pushed through the crowd to try to catch up with him.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Ah, sorry. Very sorry! Excuse me." She offered her apologizes as she pushed through. Finally, she reached him and grabbed his light brown leather belt. Attached to the belt were bunches empty pouches, all showing signs of age and use.

He whipped around, a grave and sinister look on his face until he realized who he was looking at and his face softened.

"Blue?" He questioned.

"Hi. What are you doing here today? I didn't expect to see you again."

He seemed slightly uncomfortable with the question for a moment, but nodded. "I didn't expect to see you either. Hey, let's get out of the middle of the street and talk somewhere else." He glanced around at all the people passing by and weaving around and through them, giving scowling glares. Though, Blue did notice how he completely skipped answering the first question she asked.

They pushed their way to the side of the road and stood where no one would have to worry about two teens talking. Link looked around warily, as if trying to look for someone or taking extreme precautions. Something was frightening him, for sure.

Blue peered around as he did. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing." He replied dully. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I had to b-"

"Why are you talking to me?" He questioned again, interrupting rudely. "Is there anything you need from me?"

"No, I just thought… maybe we could be friends or something. I just wanted to get to know you. A mysterious figure doesn't appear near my friend's house all that often." Blue attempted to lighten the mood and smile with a positive attitude. It didn't seem to affect Link at all as he still gazed at her with a frown.

"Look," He replied softer this time. "I don't want you to get caught up in my things, so it might be better to-"

"There!" A voice shouted. Link suddenly jerked up, alert and at attention. Blue felt her heart skip a beat for a second as he jumped. He whispered something under his breath that she could not make out.

"Din it all," He said after. "Guards."

"Guards? What do the guards want?" Blue questioned hastily, a worried feeling rising within her.

The guards' armor clanked as they walked up and cast gazes to where Link and Blue were. They raised their spears in a ready position, and as they shifted, the sun beat off their armor and casted a glare making Blue squint her eyes.

"Oh look, he has a new recruit! Little lady, what's your name?"

"Recruit? Link, why are the guards here?" She questioned again, this time more demanding.

He seemed at a loss of words, so he only shrugged in reply.

"Why you don't know your little friend here is a wanted criminal, little lady?" One guard spoke up, though due to their masks, she couldn't tell which one. "Well, now you know. Mister wanted Nighttime Thief!"

* * *

**_Authors Note_**:

Phew. Like, I hate editing stuff. I'm not that much of an editor...

ANYWAY! Chapter 2. Thanks for reading...

Story is also up on DeviantArt.

*I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of Shigeru Miyamoto's characters. All of them rightfully belong to Nintendo.*


	3. Chapter 3

****

_**Of a Hero's Ashes**_

_Chapter __3_

"Nighttime Thief?" came Link's voice as Blue opened her mouth to talk. Everyone seemed startled by his sudden burst, expecting it to come from the girl. "What in the world kind of label is that?"

"Well, it was the best the poster makers could fit on it, Mister Thief." The guard they were talking to spoke up right after Link ended his sentence. "Now you two are coming with us to the dungeons."

"Dungeons?" Blue spoke up this time. "Wait, wait… I wasn't even a part of this!"

Suddenly a guard from behind seized her hands and yanked her backwards. She yelped in surprise, pulling and tugging in an attempt to break free.

"Hey!" Link protested back as she was jerked, "She wasn't part of this, let her go!" He stopped his sentence quickly as another guard came around from behind and took a hold of his hands, shackling them. They quickly stripped the rogue of his weapons, armor, and possessions, scattering them on the road. His sword and sheathe clanked loudly against the stone.

Blue struggled with all her might to break free, but there were now two men on both sides of her, holding each arm as they directed her and Link to the dungeons. She cast a glare to everyone around_. I try to help and this happe_ns? The voice in her head trailed off.

When they arrived at an awkward looking building, both Link and Blue scrunched their faces in disgust. But, on a better note, this was obviously not any dungeon.

"We're keeping you here. A nice prison, if you would say so." The guard looked over the two teens with a smirk and pushed them up to the building. Link looked like he was ready to pop, his face scowling more with every moment. They were ushered down the halls and thrown into a dark and gloomy, awkward smelling cell. Like in a book, they tied and locked the shackles around each teen's wrists to the wall.

"Hope you enjoy your stay." The guard's voice sounded again. And with that, the cell was shut and the door outside the room was closed. The only source of light now was a small window with bars encasing it, making the cell seem eerie and supernatural as the sun tried to peer in.

"Oh you have to be kidding me!" Blue yelled out, jerking her wrists and arms around to attempt to break free. "Son of a Din!"

"Blue," Link attempted to address her as she flailed around frantically.

"One moment I'm trying to do good things like get supplies for my family, and the next I'm being thrown into a cell for talking to a guy!"

"Blue…"

"And now I have no idea how to escape this one! Oh, I'm so dead!"

"Blue!"

"And not only that, I'm locked in here with someone I barely know and barely trust and have been assaulted by guards who I don't think I can trust completely with protecting my home and my city anymore!"

"**_Blue_**!" Link yelled out. She whipped her head around to look at him, finally catching his eye. He looked calm and serene, like he had already been through this before, though the temper in his light voice clearly showed.

"I know you're panicking, but you have done nothing." He gave her a grave look. "See? This is _exactly _why I said you should stop talking to me! I'm not one to befriend, missy. I only get people in trouble, which is why I don't stick around my family that often or for too long. I don't want them getting in trouble for my actions!"

Blue narrowed her eyes, taking a few heavy breaths in a desperate attempt to calm down. She snickered at his scolding, laughing right after.

"What's so funny?" He furrowed his eyebrows, slowly tensing visibly.

"Nothing," She coughed. Laughing was to her, the best way to fight off a panicked feeling. Though, this time it didn't seem to work all that well. Then something caught her attention.

"Actions?" She questioned. "You mean being the Nighttime Thief thing?"

He rolled his eyes at the label but nodded. "I steal, yes. At night, yes. But I don't keep the stuff; I give it to family and other people. I only keep a small amount for myself."

"You know there are other, less illegal ways to get things for other people. Why not get a job or something? I'm sure someone around this town is looking for work."

"I already have a label, which will make it harder for me to get a job. Society is screwed up, Blue. Don't you forget that. I'm trying to do the right thing and help. People look down on low lives like me anyway."

A feeling of sympathy washed over her. Link shared her desires. To help people! To help the people, the town, even Hyrule! He looked stern and determined, and didn't hesitate or think twice when he said he was helping. He knew what he wanted to do, and he did it. Blue on the other hand had been lenient on pursuing her desires that quickly.

Maybe, if they got out of this, she could help him on his quests?

"The least I can do is attempt to get some respect for myself and others. But, apparently, it's not working. Well, what're you going to do?" He shrugged his shoulders, the chains on his wrists banging and clacking against each other as his hands moved.

Blue stared back at him, finally collecting her thoughts and calming down. The sun was barely illuminating the room, making it hard to see his features. He seemed distant, well; after all, he was a stranger. Oddly, though, she felt safe in his presence.

A loud creek was heard not a moment after Blue managed a weak smile. Both Link and Blue's heads whipped around to see a Guard stride through the door and come up to the cell. He pulled out a rather large key and slipped it into the lock, turning it and opening the door. Blue tensed as the armored man came closer to her.

"Someone is here to claim you, Miss Oscabellow." The guard attempted to calm her while he reached up with another key and unclamped the shackles. "Your mother and brother, I presume?"

Blue's heart fluttered. "Oh? Great! This place gives me the creeps."

The guard nodded and proceeded to turn around and walk to the cell door. "Sorry we wrongly accused you, Miss."

She didn't move from her spot next to the wall. Link gave her a curious look, and she now could see his face fully with the extra light coming from the open doors. He looked worried.

"What about Link?" She looked from Link to the guard. "Is he coming?"

"No, Miss. There is no one to claim him, and we know for sure he's the thief we've been looking for, so he will have to wait until interrogation."

"What?" She exclaimed. "That-"

"Blue," Link addressed her again. "I told you, don't worry over me. I'm not the one to make a friend. It was nice meeting you, don't get me wrong, but it's time we part."

She looked back him with a surprised look, but he only nodded and gestured to the guard with a small jerk of his head. With a sigh, she made her way over to the guard and followed him out.

The sun was immensely bright as she walked out of the dark, shaded prison near the side of town. She caught sight of her mother, her arms crossed as Tye stood at her feet. The little boy's face brightened as Blue made her way over to them, and he couldn't help but throw his arms around her waist and hug fiercely.

Her mother on the hand didn't look so happy.

"Thanks for getting me out of there," Blue thanked her, attempting to get some sort of emotion out of the woman.

Instead, the mother unfolded her arms and clasped her fists together. She seemed to be seething, which made Blue feel uncomfortable for a moment. Tye let go of his sister instantly and backed away.

"I sent you to the market only to pick up a few necessary items and you end up getting yourself locked away in prison?" Her voice came out in a harsh whisper as she tried to refrain from yelling. "What did you do, steal from a cart? I know you wouldn't do that, Blue! What in the name of Hyrule got you arrested?"

"I-" Blue cut herself off, trying to think of an excuse. She wanted to stay away from talking about Link, since that might just make her mother madder. "Okay, you got me, I stole from a cart. But only because you forgot to lend me a few rupees!"

Her mother looked appalled, "You stole? Why didn't you come home?"

"I didn't think-"

"Of course you didn't think!" She exclaimed. "You never think do you? How many more times do I have to pull you out of trouble, missy? You are far too old to sink so low."

Blue couldn't think of a response, she only sat there, trying to keep her face expressionless.

"Now come home," Her mother spoke out after a few moments. She walked past Blue, casting her daughter a glance as she brushed by. Blue bit her tongue, reluctantly following her. Tye grabbed his sister's hand encouragingly.

"She won't do anything bad to you, will she?" He sounded afraid. Though why, Blue had no idea. He obviously wasn't the one in trouble.

"No," Blue replied. Tye gave her a narrowed look before he let go of her hand and rushed up to walk in step with their mother. Blue sighed and cast a backwards glance to the prison.

_I'm not saying goodbye so soon, Mister Link_. She smirked to herself, then realized she had fallen considerably behind her family and sped up to be at their heels again.

* * *

Nightfall had come soon enough, and Blue was quietly searching the house for a cloak. She opened up her father's cabinets; remembering how he would wear a dark brown one over his armor when he attempted to conceal it.

With the unusual name of John Oscabellow, her father was considerably young man when he joined the military. He worked all day at his training sessions and would come home exhausted when Blue was just a little girl. She vaguely remembered his hunched over positions, his head in his hands, but he always managed to plaster a warm smile on his face, assuring her that everything was fine.

Eventually his exhaustion caught up to him, especially after they learned that the late Hero of Time, Klein Burrows, had been brutally murdered. Hyrule had seemed to lose hope after they learned that even a Hero couldn't save them from the War they were engaged in against the Gerudo. Lord Ganondorf had set his sights on controlling all of Hyrule, and after he gained control of Hyrule, he could move to the Zora's Domain, or the Goron's Death Mountain, and even extend his sights to take control of the vast, mysterious desert areas which were the Outlands, which stretched all around the world they knew. Or perhaps… even further.

The Guard was forced to work immensely harder after the Hero's death as well, and the War seemed to turn in favor to the Gerudo. Lives were lost on the battlefields out in the fields of Hyrule, including her own father's shortly after her brother was born.

But Blue didn't let this get her down. She worked and trained hard as soon as she was of age to wield a weapon properly. Though, she completely failed at using weapons to fight. Nonetheless, she was determined to live up to her father's name and become one of the greatest Knights Hyrule had ever had.

She grabbed the cloak that was neatly folded on a shelf in the cabinet and wrapped herself up in it, pinning the top together so it sat comfortably around her shoulders. Then, her thoughts drifted to the Hero of Time.

This wasn't just one hero, it was many. All blessed with the mark and courage of the goddess Farore, and the blessing of the Light Spirit, which was the spirit that watched over Hyrule night and day, keeping it safe from harm. With the death of one hero, the birth of the next, and this cycle had been continuing on for as long as time could tell, which gave the Hero of Time his or her title. iAs long as time itself, this hero would appear./i

The Hero of Time was supposed to help Hyrule, and that is what the last one had been doing. Klein Burrows had done everything he could to keep the kingdom on its feet, but all his work had died away when he was killed, all the troubles he attempted to cure in vain.

Then suddenly, a hero did not appear.

There was no grand birth; there was no hero's welcoming. In short, there was no hero. The strand had been broken since Klein had not fulfilled his duties, and he was the first not to do so. No soul in Hyrule honored Klein's death, they only besmirched it. Now the kingdom was in even more peril, and it was apparently all his fault.

But Blue held no hard feelings. Being a Hero of Time would be a stressful life, and she was glad she was blessed with just being herself and not having to be anything more. But, she wondered how much longer Hyrule could withstand the growing forces of the Gerudo. If Hyrule fell, the world fell.

She pushed these thoughts from her head and attempted to focus on the task ahead of her. Star's house was not far away, and Blue needed to pay a little midnight visit before she set out on her quest.

As she exited the house and ran down the streets, her heart pumped with excitement. She'd never done anything like this before, and she felt like someone important for once. Her body had newfound energy as she stopped in front of her friend's house and knocked loudly on it.

To her surprise, Star opened the door herself. She blinked at Blue's attire, her expression changing suddenly.

"What are you doing here this late?" Star questioned her curiously.

"You know that boy we met in the alley a few days ago?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I found him at the market earlier today."

Star's expression turned to a surprised one. "And? What did he say? Did you approach him?" She shot out.

"Naturally. We were talking and suddenly a bunch of guards came out of nowhere and arrested us."

"What?" Her light voice rose.

"Shh!" Blue attempted to hush her. The last thing she wanted right now was company. "Be quiet! But anyway, apparently our acquaintance is a wanted criminal. They arrested us and threatened to take us to the dungeons, but they took us to a prison on the outskirts of the town instead. They believed I was an accomplice."

"I knew there was something fishy about him." Star murmured under her breath, obviously trying to sound smarter. "But why are you telling me this now? How did you get out?"

"Because," Blue said simply, a smirk tugging at her lips. Star gave her a curious look, tilting her head. "We're going to bust him out. Oh… and my family got me out."

* * *

_"What?" Star's voice had risen again, making Blue flinch. "You can't be serious, can you?"_

_"Of course I am, why would I not?" Blue attempted to suppress a giggle rising in her throat._

_"Well… it's just because… he's a criminal, Blue! We're goody-two-shoes girls. What can we bloody do about a criminal being locked up where he needs to be?" She sounded panicked._

_"You don't mean that, Star! Link told me he was doing those deeds to help the people in need. He has a kind and soft heart! You need to look through his rough exterior to see that. Just because he's labeled as a crmininal does not mean he is one by heart."_

_"But Blue-!" Star protested._

_"You don't have to help me if you don't want to, and I'll understand why. But I am going to help him. Maybe in turn he can help me accomplish what I've always wanted, which is to help Hyrule in some way, shape, or form. I do not want to sit idly on the sidelines, and you know that."_

_Star had changed her expression as Blue was talking from a surprised one of a saddened one._

_"I'm sorry I woke you." Blue nodded, pulling the cloak's hood over her head. "This was a waste of time. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_She silently turned, only to have a hand clasp her right shoulder._

_"No." Star's voice came out. "I won't let you put yourself in danger for someone we barely know."_

_"But I have to help-"_

_"Not without me." Star's voice brightened up, and Blue turned around to see her friend with a smirk plastered to her face._

_"Wait here," Star demanded, "I'll go get my father's cloak as well to hide myself. I'll be right back. And for goddesses' sake, Blue," She paused again for a moment. "Don't run down the alley in search for another boy again."_

_Blue smirked and nodded. "You have my word!"_

That conversation happened only a few minutes ago as Star and Blue came upon the prison that held Link. Blue smiled to herself, knowing this was the right thing to do.

Or at least, trying to convince her troubled thoughts that this was the right thing to do.

Link might have displayed himself as kind, but for all she knew, he could be a cold blooded killer. She pushed those assumptions away and ran to the side of the wall where Star had stationed herself.

Her friend looked back with worried brown eyes. "Blue, I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one, and you be the level headed one, not the other way around."

"Only for tonight," Blue laughed quietly as they began to scale the side of the wall. When they came to the corner, she peered around it to see the entrance.

There was a guard standing in their way. Thankfully, it was a guard she did not recognize, which meant they could approach him without fear of being detected.

"Follow my lead," Blue instructed Star. She nodded back, and Blue began to make her way out into the open and toward the guard.

Instantly, the guard fumbled and took a tight grip on his spear handle, pointing it to the girls. "Halt!" He called out in a young voice.

Blue smiled. "Oh, hello! Who are you?"

"Why are you here?" The guard waved his spear, the metal bending slightly.

"We need to see the prisoner. Is he still here?"

"Yeah…" The guard responded hesitatingly. "But you are not allowed to see him."

Blue took a graceful stride over to the man to stand next to him. She smiled, pulling her hood down. "Well, that's a shame. We can't even tell him goodbye?"

"N-no, Milady." The guard hesitated again to respond, this time in embarrassment. Blue felt another smirk tug at her lips, and she gave in, lowering her eyes.

"I'll miss him…" She managed to choke out in a fake tone, on the brink of falling apart. She hoped the guard wouldn't look through her horrible acting.

The guard seemed surprised, not knowing what to do when a lady was crying in front of him. He instantly spoke out,

"I'm sorry, sorry!" He clasped her shoulder with his free hand, his other grasping the spear. "But he is a criminal! Maybe it's better this way."

At least he hadn't seen through her.

Blue stopped her fake crying and balled her right hand into a fist. She threw it up at the guard's stomach, landing a hard hit in his exposed, unguarded gut. He faltered, the spear dropping from his hands and the hand leaving Blue's shoulder as he gripped his stomach in pain. Blue shot up again, this time punching with her left hand to land a hit on the side of his helmet, making the guard fall to the ground, writhing in pain. She shook out her hands, both turning red from the impacts.

Star was immediately at her side.

"You are such a _kiss_ up." She commented with disgust in her voice.

Blue laughed through the pain. "I know, I know. But hey, it works!" She leaned down to detach the jumble of keys from the guard's belt and dashed to the door. "Now hurry, we don't have much time!"

* * *

**_Authors Note_**:

Oh, let the horrors of these first few chapters pass... XD

I never have anything to comment about, do I?

And OH MY WORD was this a pain to edit... I kept getting booted off... *Snickersnortsnicker*

*I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of Shigeru Miyamoto's characters. All of them rightfully belong to Nintendo.*


	4. Chapter 4

_**Of a Hero's Ashes**_

_Chapter 4_

Blue jammed the key into the door and turned it until she heard a click. Awkwardly, her heart skipped a beat for a moment. She began to have second thoughts.

He told her to never talk to him again. He told her to go away and just forget. But it'd be unlike her to leave someone like him, someone who wanted to help, and someone who was indeed doing good deeds. She couldn't leave him to be thrown away and locked up forever. But what if he didn't accept? Then not only would she be in trouble, but Star would be as well. She instantly regretted bringing Star along, not wanting her friend to get blamed for anything she was dragging her into.

"Blue," Star's voice broke her thoughts. Blue blinked twice, realizing she was just standing in front of the unlocked door.

"Going to open it?" She teased slightly, "Or did we come all this way for nothing?"

Blue snickered to herself before she opened the door, the metal hinges giving an agonizing creek as it swung. It was pitch black inside, and the only source of light was from the moon and the stars, which offered little to no light since the moon was on the other side of the sky at the moment. She took a small step in, trying to adjust to the darkness.

"Link?" She echoed out.

A shuffle of feet and the clatter of chains sounded through the quiet chambers, signaling that someone was inside.

"Who's there?" His light voice rang out, and he immensely failed at trying to make it sound more masculine. "It's late, what do you _want_?"

"Link, it's me!" Blue ran down the hallway, trying to find the cell he was locked in by memory. She hastily glanced between each cell until she caught a glimpse of a human figure locked up against the back wall of one.

As she jammed a different key from the ring into the lock and opened the door, he flinched. "What in Din's name… didn't I tell you **not** to come **back**?" His voice seethed with anger. "What are you **doing **here?"

"We don't have time for questions, Link," Blue ran up to him and undid his shackles. As his hands fell out, he grabbed his red and raw wrists, rubbing them lightly. "We need to get out of here." Her heart beat faster with every second as she felt even more energy flood her body.

Without anymore question, he gave her a solemn look and followed his rescuer out of the cell. Blue spotted Star's silhouette in the doorway leading outside, and she quickly turned her head to look back at her friend.

"There you are!" She exclaimed quietly. "Oh… nice to see you again, Link!"

He blinked his blue eyes while he held his left wrist, glancing between Star and Blue. "Nice to see you again too, Star."

"You remember my name?" She sounded excited.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" He smirked at her lightly before turning to Blue. "Why did you-"

"We're not out yet." Blue reminded them, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Let's get going." She turned to the doorway and fled the room; Link and Star close on her heels.

They ran for what seemed like an eternity, but they soon came to a halt behind a building in a small alleyway, all three of them collapsing against the wall and sliding their backs against it to sit down. Blue felt relief wash over her, and adrenaline still lingering in her veins. Star let out shuttering breaths, trying to grab a hold of herself. Link on the other hand recovered quickly, and it didn't surprise her. He must be used to fleeing like this.

Suddenly, Blue burst up, her arms in fists and up in a defensive position. "What fun! We should do that again sometime!"

"No!" Link shouted back, keeping his voice a little lighter than hers. "I have no idea what you two were thinking, but it stops now! I will not sit back and watch two more citizens throw their lives away. I've seen it too much!"

"I agree," Star stood up, brushing her bottom off. "What got a hold of you, Blue? Are you an adventure seeker?"

"I just wanted to help. And look!" She gestured to Link. "He's out!"

"For what, a few weeks?" He narrowed his eyes. "And why would you help a low life criminal anyway? You want some rupees? Believe you me, I don't have any."

"No, no!" She defended herself, waving her arms. "I want to help you! What I mean is… when we were talking back in the cell, you said you were your little Nighttime Thief character to help others, the ones in need?"

He didn't respond, only giving her a hard glare. His features were darkened by a shadow since the torches lighting the far end of the alley were behind him.

"I don't want to go to the guard only to get rejected, so I've come up with a new solution," She smiled brightly, her face scrunching and glowing bright against the torches that were flickering not far away.

"I want to help you."

Star burst foreword. "If she helps I want to help too!"

Blue placed her hand on Star's shoulder. "Now?" She looked over her friends shoulder to Link.

The boy garbed in green had an utterly surprised look on his face, and Blue couldn't manage to read whether it was happy, angry, appalled, or just plain surprised. Had he ever had a sidekick type figure before? Did he ever work on a team? Rogues didn't usually work as a team, and he didn't seem like the team player.

Link's surprised look faded into a look of… just a blank look. He had no emotion whatsoever imbedded in his facial features, which were still shadowed over.

"I…" He trailed off for a moment. "I don't know, I mean, I've never worked with someone, and I don't want to get you into any more trouble than you already have."

Blue clenched her fists. "Nor have I, but we'll use each other?" She looked at Star, her face brightening up more.

Star looked unsure, half of her face visible in the light and the other half shadowed over. Her features twisted into a slight smirk from a worried face.

"A trio?" Link narrowed his azure eyes. "In one night I go from a Rogue to a trio?"

"A trio of Rogues," Star put in, finally speaking up in a happy tone.

"And with three people, you'll get three times the loot, which would lead to three times the happy faces you could see when you hand over the supplies you have."

"Three times the party!" Star added.

"Three times the fun!" Blue spoke back up.

"Three times the-"

"Girls, I know." He grunted out, turning his blank look into a frown. "But as a man I must be chivalrous and tell you that I cannot allow women to come along on dangerous missions like this."

"Man? With that voice? You're such a baby." Star smirked as she whispered out.

Link whipped his head over to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

"Baby." She responded, her voice cracking with a hint of laughter.

He gained a grave look and turned to Blue,

"You have got to be kidding me."

"You'll get used to it, trust me." Blue smiled, attempting to hide her disappointment as she pulled on Star's long ear.

"Ow! Jeez'…"

"So Link, what do you say?" Blue turned her face to Link, who was still looking at them with a frown, the torches in the background flickering out more and more every second.

A sigh escaped his lips as he gazed back at them, holding a blue glare.

"Fine. I guess it won't be tha-"

Swiftly, Blue practically jumped on him, hugging him fiercely. Star followed in suit. "Yes! And it's a good thing you did, because I didn't feel like competing with you for the title of the Nighttime Thief if you refused. I was going along with my plan of helping people anyway." Blue laughed out as she pulled away from him. Star kept hugging him though.

He nodded back, a worried look plastered on his face. He then gazed at Star and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah…?"

"Oh! Right," Star smiled and pulled off of him, wrapping her arms around her back. "Sorry."

Link proceeded to brush himself off, patting down the wrinkles in his Tunic. He adjusted his gloves, pulling them tighter as he looked around with a hint of curiosity. His eyes fixed on a building not far away.

"Alright, but if you work for me, you work under my terms. Got it?"

"Right." Blue and Star both agreed.

"Right." Link laughed back a bit, keeping his look of curiosity as he turned his head to them. "Meet me here tomorrow night then, around this time. We'll work things out then, I guess."

With that, he nodded and turned, proceeding to dash off to skid around a corner and out of sight. Blue tightened her cloak and bid farewell to Star before making her way back to her home.

* * *

"First off, we're going to replace what was stolen from us in the first place."

The trio crouched around a corner, looking over the side to see the blacksmith pounding away on an axe he was making from steel. Blue flinched at every clack of his iron mace, drawing her cloak in closer.

"What did they steal?" Star questioned with a voice barely more than a whisper.

"Well, they didn't steal it; they just never gave it back. Unfortunately this blacksmith, however, has the displeasure of being my target after I saw his building last night."

Blue furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, but Star caught the question before she had a chance to get her voice in.

"So you just want to steal some supplies from a blacksmith? But he's innocent!"

"Look, Star," Link addressed her darkly, but his light voice made it hard to take him all that seriously. "I never said I stole everything for other people. I need supplies too."

"But that's unfair!"

"Life's unfair, Star. Let's get used to it now, hmm?" He growled darkly. Star balled her fists.

"Now," He turned to Blue, his voice changing out of the dark tone. "You're slick, I presume? You're going to need a weapon to defend yourselves out here. A dagger, perhaps?"

"No!" Blue protested. "Oh dear gods, no weapons, please."

Link blinked at her, taken aback by the sound in her voice. She seemed utterly appalled by the thought of weapons.

"Oh, no, no," Blue laughed as she finally caught on to the meaning of the look on his face. "I don't fear weapons; I just don't… communicate with them well. I'd end up hurting myself before I hurt someone else. I'll stick with my hands."

"Very well," Link furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head back to Star, who was still trying to hold back her anger. "Are you good with weapons?"

"I studied throwing darts for a few years. I'm quite precise with them." She smiled as her fists relaxed and the brightness of her voice returned. "I don't have any currently, and" She added as Link's face brightened, "I refuse to steal them."

"Okay then," Link smiled back, awkwardly bright. "I'll get them for you then."

Star opened her mouth to say something but hung her head as she sighed, saying to more.

Blue stood up as Link pulled himself to his feet as well, giving Star a curt nod. He looked at Blue again, raising an eyebrow.

"Not backing out, I hope?"

"Of course not," Blue smirked. "I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

He laughed in amusement. "Good! You stay here then, Star. Don't move a muscle or give us away."

She only gave a grunt.

Link and Blue slowly made their way out into the open, dashing as the blacksmith turned his head to grab an iron bar which was sweltering with heat, the slab appearing to be red. She gritted her teeth as he laid it down in the water and it sizzled, screeching loudly.

With a tug on her cloak, she looked up to see Link staring down at her. He placed a finger vertically at his lips to ensure she was quiet and padded down the alley halfway till he came to a spot at a backdoor. Blue followed him quietly.

"I'll open the door as quietly as I can," He whispered. "You dash in as soon as you can and take cover, and be isure/i that the blacksmith does not see you. Keep your head down."

She nodded and took her place as he moved to the door. He placed his gloved hands on the handle and pried it open. Blue dashed in and skid across the floor to come to a halt behind a table, the blacksmith on the other side of the room. The door however, creaked loudly as Link pulled it to a close and he came to a skidding halt behind a counter not far from her.

The blacksmith turned his head to look around, setting his work down for a moment. He looked like a gruff, older man, probably in his forties to fifties. Blue shrunk her head back into her cloak, hoping the man couldn't see her or Link as he gazed around.

As the blacksmith dropped his gaze to go back to his work, Link stealthily made his way to the swords sitting on the far end of the counter that he had hid behind. Taking only a few moments to look over the selection, he grabbed a fine looking sword with a broad hilt and ducked back down to conceal himself.

Blue smirked slightly as she crawled to the side, looking up at a few small daggers aligned on a hip and shoulder belt. Link was right; she would need some weapons if she wanted to survive in this environment. _'Sides_, she thought with a smirk, _it matches the cloak_.

Link had managed to grab himself a silver shoulder plate he could strap to himself which had a half-cape attached to it. He also had a sack throwing daggers in his other hand as he looked back at Blue. She nodded, informing him that she was done. He smirked and inclined his head toward the windows that opened up to the roads outside. They were both open to let the cool night air into the sweltering hot building from the smelting that the blacksmith was doing.

But, as they made their way out, the older man had seen them out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey!" He shouted. "Get back here!"

They hurriedly made their way to the windows and Link helped Blue up and through the window. She landed with a quiet thud on the outside and moved to the side to allow Link to heave himself out and over the window to land next to her with another thud, kicking up some dust. They made a mad dash from the building as the blacksmith opened the door they came through, shouting something she couldn't quite hear as he drifted out of sight.

"You sure that was your first time sneaking around?" He smirked at her, strapping the silvery shoulder armor with the cape over his tunic and attaching his newly acquired sword to his belt as they ran. "And that sash of daggers, I thought you weren't good with weapons?"

"Well, you're right. I need something to protect myself out here. And I did sneak around my house sometimes when I wanted to get out." She smirked back, strapping the belt part across her waist. "And it's not a sash, it's a leather strap like your sheathe there that'll match my cloak! Have to be fashionable." She wagged her finger, laughing.

Link laughed along, nodding in understanding. "I see. Well, let's get back over to your poor friend."

They quietly made their way over to Star, who was sitting with her back against the wall of the building next to her. She immediately shot up as Link and Blue came into view.

"Guys!" She exclaimed quietly. "I saw the old guy turn his head as you opened the door and it creaked! And he was shouting something, but I couldn't see. Did he catch you?"

"Catch us? I'm offended you even thought of that option. All he did was see us, but we made it out." Blue opened her arms.

"That's just as bad." She frowned.

Blue laughed, "We're fine. Don't worry."

Her face relaxed slightly as Blue laughed, but she immediately tensed up as Link handed her a satchel with throwing darts in it. She blinked at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Keep them, Star. There's not much you can do now. They're in your possession, and you'll need some weapons to defend yourself. Even Blue gave in and grabbed a few daggers. So be grateful." He scolded.

She sighed, slinging the satchel over her shoulder and nodding. "Fine, fine. Thank you, Link."

Link smiled in triumph, folding his arms. The new armor on his shoulders glistened and reflected the light of the torches that were normally lit around the town at this time of night. "'Bout time."

She scowled, folding her arms. Her face turned to Blue.

"Isn't it time we start off for home? Your mother'll kick your teenage- criminal butt if she finds out you're gone."

"You're right." Blue nodded after strapping the blades on her belt tighter. She fiddled with her cloak for a moment before smiling at Link. "Thank you for the excitement, catch you tomorrow night?"

"You bet on it. Star?" He glanced questioningly at the brown eyed girl.

"I'll think about it," She smirked, snickering slightly. With a tug on Blue's cloak, she turned off and ran down the alleyway. Blue nodded Link a goodbye and dashed after her friend.

* * *

Link watched his two new partners dash off and slowly fade out of sight. He sighed and turned around to walk an opposite way, strapping the new sword he acquired to his belt. He smirked, flipping a few throwing darts he had taken from Star's bag through his fingers. Who said all the darts had to belong to her?

Laughing softly, he stowed away the tiny bladed weapons in one of the many pouches hanging from his belt and latched the buckle shut. He glanced around the area, taking a careful look at the blacksmith, who went back to busily smelting and banging on the steel he was shaping, murmuring something quietly to himself. He didn't seem to know what was missing from his arsenal yet.

Link fiddled with his new silvery shoulder plate and fixed the brown half-cape flowing from it as he walked down the barren streets of Castle Town. It seemed rather too fashionable and gallant for a criminal like him to own, but it suited his needs more than a lone cloak would do. He was stripped of his cloak and weapons anyway when the guards had arrested him. Since it was a quick getaway from the prison, he never had a chance to grab them on the way out.

The sword was well balanced and suited his height, but it did weigh a little on the heavier side. He'd get used to it though, seeing how the last sword he had was too small and light and it was just fine.

"Oy', Link!"

He stopped and threw a glance over his shoulder to see a tall, muscular man with short black hair and a short beard running up to him.

"Darris, what a nice-"

"Boy, where have you been? I haven't seen you 'round lately. What's been keepin' ya'?"

"I had a run in with the guard."

"The guard?" He exclaimed when he came up, looking like a giant compared to Link. "Are you alright? Lose anything?"

Link blinked, "Yes, but I replaced everything." He furrowed his eyebrows as Darris eyed him up and down.

"That's nice. I see you replaced your cloak with that shiny thing."

Link laughed. "Yup, like it? My own personal taste to an outfit."

"I thought your own personal taste consisted of a green tunic, a lone brown cloak, belt, boots, gauntlets, and that silly green slug thing on your head?"

Link gained an unpleasant face, frowning.

"Oh, boy, you know I'm kiddin'." Darris laughed out. "But how'd you get out? They took ya' to prison, right?"

"Yeah, but two acquaintances of mine came to the rescue and we made a speedy getaway."

"Ahaha! You? **You **required help? I'd of done anything to see you begging on all fours for someone's help!"

"I was not begging on all fours, they came to help me! I told them to go home but they refused and insisted on helping me. What was I supposed to do, turn down their help when they were going to drag me out by the ear anyway?" Link protested. "I don't sink that low, my friend!"

"Alright, alright, jeez'," Darris laughed. "I just enjoy pushing your buttons, kid. So, need a place to crash for the night?"

"I wouldn't intrude on you in that way… since I know you'd just be pestering me all night." Link declined, snickering slightly.

"Naw', I wouldn't do that. C'mon," He patted Link gruffly on the back and ushered him onward. "My place isn't far from here, and I know you don't have a place of your own. I can't let a friend sleep on the streets when he's wanted man. Imagine the price on your head now that you've escaped? Triple the amount?"

Link shrugged and decided not to argue with him anymore. The giant was right. He was wanted, and he didn't enjoy sleeping on the streets all the time. Besides, Darris could beat the snot out of him if he continued to refuse, so it was best to do what a large man wanted. 

* * *

*I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of Shigeru Miyamoto's characters. All of them rightfully belong to Nintendo.*


	5. Chapter 5

**_Of a Hero's Ashes_**

_Chapter 5_

_

* * *

_

Link awoke wearily to the sound of a light, female voice calling his name. He blinked a few times, adjusting his vision out of a blurry state.

"Link! Hey Liiiinnnk, Liiiiiiiinkkkk?"

He rolled his hazy eyes as his vision came back to find Star hovering over him.

"HO- Geez'!" He shot up as panic rose in his mind. The brown eyed girl was staring at him and shot back herself when he sat up, placing a hand over her heart.

"What the- you scared the crap out of me! What the heck were you doing?" She practically shouted at him, her brown eyes clouding over in shock.

Link blinked, easing his tense body as she started at him. "Nothing… oh, erm…" He paused for a moment, giving a weak and worried smile. "Sorry. I- where are we?"

He was sitting in an alley, his back against a building's wall. It was bright outside, though the walls around casted large shadows over them, making it seem darker than it really was. He couldn't quite remember how he got there… or even fell asleep there.

"I was on my way to one of my friend's when I spotted a figure in this alley. Of course, I wasn't that shocked when I noticed it was you." She gained a smirk. "We're in the western part of town."

"Yeah, yeah," Link stood up, brushing his outfit off from the dirt on the ground. "Thanks for waking me then. At least it was you instead of someone I didn't know."

"Hmm," She smiled brightly, her mischievous smirk increasing. She had a spark in her eyes, which made Link question for a moment.

"Star, why-"

"Well!" She said mysteriously. "I'll see you around!"The Hylian girl immediately turned around and dashed out of sight. Link stood dumbfounded for a bit before he smacked himself upside the head.

"We need to work on your people skills, buddy."

* * *

Since he slept in, nighttime came quicker than he's anticipated, and he found himself walking next to Blue down a blank and deserted road, a full moon lighting their way. They had newly acquired supplies in their pockets and hands as they walked, and Blue fell behind to follow him quietly. She had her cloak pulled up and the hood covering her face while Link's side-cape drifted down to his knees.

Of course, they had stolen all of this, but she didn't seem to mind. They were helping others, true. But Link hesitated when he glanced back at her and found a worried look strewn across her face as she stared ahead.

"Blue?" He questioned.

"What?" She snapped back, glaring at him for a moment. He blinked.

"Do you… need me to carry something?"

"No, I have it."

"Well, you seem unhappy."

Blue glared even more, shaking her head as she fixed her eyes ahead again. "Just take us to where you drop this stuff off and get this over with."

He sighed, looking forward again. Obviously, his people skills needed work, but there was no point in scolding himself now. He continued walking to their destination, keeping himself and his thoughts quiet.

When they arrived at a shady looking building, Blue stopped next to Link and stared up with a questioning look. He nodded and led her around to a door, knocking on it roughly.

"Velia, open up!" He called out.

Soon after, the door opened to reveal a tall, slender woman, older than he was. She was garbed in loose cloth pants and a low cut shirt, much like sleep clothes. Her hair was a dark red, put up in a ponytail that came to her mid back. She blinked large eyelashes, pursing her lips.

"Link! I haven't seen you in awhile. What was keeping you?"

"Just some things," He replied calmly. "I have a few items for you to distribute across the area."

"Oh yes, yes, come in." She stood aside and allowed Blue and Link to walk in. Her eyes fell on Blue's cloaked figure and she looked at Link curiously.

"This is one my new accomplices." He smirked, setting the items in his hands on a table in the middle of the dimly lit candle room. "At least, that's how the guards addressed her."

"Her?" Velia gained a look of shock and peered at Blue as she set the items in her hands on the table. "You have a woman working with you?"

"And?" He questioned while un-strapping the bags on his belt and searching through his various pockets and pouches, setting various items on the table. Blue was doing the same and seemed tense, obviously offended at Velia's questions. She pulled her hood back, keeping her cloak wrapped fully around to encase herself.

"It's just; I don't see you working with a woman. Is the other one a girl too?"

"Yes."

"HAH!" A low voice came from behind them. Link and Blue turned around to see a few men sitting at a table in the far corner playing cards. One of them stood up and raised a glass.

"Link, where have you been?" He practically laughed out.

Blue tensed even more. She leaned over to Link, dropping her voice.

"Link, your friends worry me…"

"Friends?" He stared at her and laughed slightly. "Ah, I'd call them… friendly acquaintances."

A smile caught her lips for a moment. She leaned back to her original position and looked back across the room, only to find that the man with the glass had walked over to them. He suddenly caught Link in a huge embrace, lifting him off the floor.

"Eh?" Link squirmed in his tight grasp as Blue looked up at them, laughing.

The man set Link back on the floor, and the teenage boy doubled over in pain, coughing.

"Oh, did I hug to tight?" The man laughed. "Sorry, kiddo'."

"It's alright." Link attempted to stand straight, huffing and stretching his back. "I'm terribly sorry, but I forgot your names."

"Oh, he remembers Velia's but not ours?" One guy from across the room laughed out. "Always a ladies man."

"No, I don't mean- ah." Link stopped himself before he tripped over his own words. "I just forgot, I'm sorry."

Blue smirked at him, showing her amusement. Her smirk faded, however, when the man had picked her up and embraced her as well, less tight, obviously.

When he put Blue down, the man looked back at Link. "It's Allen, remember bud?"

"Oh, right." Link scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, nice to see you, Allen." He looked at the others and walked across the room to greet them. Blue followed him, unwilling to leave his side with all the strangers around.

After greeting everyone they walked back over to Velia, who was now standing behind a bar. She looked up at Link, laughing as they took their seats.

"Well, would you two like a drink? Or did you forget this is a tavern?"

"'Course we do." Link smiled and looked back at Blue. "Like anything?"

"Have any alcohol of some sort?"

"Alcohol?" Velia blinked, setting a glass of bubbly red liquid in front of Link. "How old are you?"

"Oh, come on," Blue smiled, "Just a little glass?"

"Absolutely not, missy." Velia scolded.

"But younger soldiers in the military get alcoholic things!"

"Well, they're in the military, you're not. It's to soothe their nerves."

Blue frowned and looked at Link, but he just stared back with a questioning look. She then smiled brightly, a mischievous look entering her eyes as she looked back at Velia.

"But Link and I ran into a few things while we were out. My nerves can be shaken too! Come on, please? You know you want too!"

"No."

"Seriously, Miss Velia, come on."

"No!"

"Yes?"

Velia pursed her lips, grinding her jaw for a moment. She looked at Link, but he had his eyes on Blue, a just as surprised look on his face.

"So?" Blue questioned.

Velia mumbled something softly, but proceeded to go grab something to serve the girl. Blue sat back in triumph as Velia sat a glass of brown liquid in front of her.

"You didn't get it from me." Velia concluded as she turned around and walked over to the men sitting at the corner, practically stalking like an irritated cat.

As Blue lifted the glass to her mouth, Link shook his head in disappointment, though her felt a smile tug on his lips.

"You're horrible." He commented.

"Well, I wasn't about to sit back in defeat."

"So you push and push for stuff when you fight?" He chuckled.

"No," Blue laughed, setting the glass in her hands down. "Not like that. I really just wanted to see how your friend Velia would react. I assure you, I'm not _that_ childish." She waved her hands defensively.

"Hmm," He lightly grumbled, taking up his drink.

"So," Blue turned to him. "How did you end up in this business?"

"Business?" He questioned after swallowing, setting the drink down. "You mean stealing for others?"

She nodded.

"It's… not that interesting." He concluded rather quickly, turning his head away from her and taking more sips from his drink. "What about you?"

Blue frowned, adjusting her outfit.

"I won't tell you my story until you tell me yours." She smiled brightly as he looked up.

"Well, my family didn't have much, the three of us barely got by."

"Only child?"

"Mhm," He answered with a nod. "So I took things into my own hands. I joined this little thievery group, and this tavern of Velia's has been where we meet. At first it was just for my family and me. I only stole what we needed to get by comfortably. But on my many outings, I had seen other families just as bad as we were, and some were even worse..." He trailed off, running his hands through his golden hair after he took his hat off. "So I decided it was time for a change. I started to work even harder, but seeing the looks on people's faces when I delivered items and food to their doors… it was rewarding."

He smiled softly at Blue when she smiled back, and he continued, less depressingly. "So I continued, and I'm glad I decided to. The only thing I regret is putting my family in danger. I'm surprised I haven't heard anything about them getting confronted by the guards since they've figured out my identity." He put the hat in his hands on the counter and sighed, turning back to his glass and looking away from Blue.

Blue looked at him sympathetically when he glanced her way, but she smiled again when he turned his head.

"I'm sure they're alright." She assured him. "We can go check if you want?"

"No, I won't do that to you. I'll wait a little longer. If anyone saw me consulting with them now it would just put them in even more danger."

"If you say so."

Link looked back over to her, cranking his head to the side slightly. "So what about you?"

Blue stared at him, opening her mouth to say something but was cut short when one of the men walked over to them. Link turned his head to look at their visitor.

She always seemed to be interrupted.

"Is this who saved ya', Link?" Darris was smirking at them as he walked up. Link smiled brightly and hopped out of the chair to stand next to his friend. Unfortunately, being the huge man Darris was, Link seemed even smaller. Blue stood up, her drink in her hands as she looked up at the newcomer.

"Indeed! This is Blue Oscabellow. Blue, this is Darris! He refuses to tell me his last name so… we just call 'em Darris." Link laughed, reaching up to clasp his friend on the shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, Darris," Blue bowed her head in acknowledgement, but the man was laughing his head off. Link took his hand back and gained a surprised look when his shoulders were grabbed.

"Ooohohohoho, Link," He struggled to retain his posture. "You never told me your savior was a girl!"

"Hey!" Blue protested. "That doesn't mean-"

"Blue," Link silenced her and looked back at the laughing man who had a hold on his shoulders. "Yes, it's a woman. Now, would you kindly let go of me?" He said rather agitatedly.

Darris let go of Link's shoulders as his laughing died down. He looked down at Link, who was glaring at him by now.

"Well," The large man coughed out nervously. "Sorry I offended you miss, nice to meet you. Anyway, Link, why'd you leave so early this-morning? I woke up and couldn't find ya'."

"I didn't want to stay too long. I left and fell asleep in an alley."

"An alley?" He questioned. "That doesn't sound very pleasant."

"It was okay. I'm used to it. It was secluded too, so I wasn't found. Well… until the middle of the day… when I was found by Blue's friend, Star. She scared me half to death."

Darris laughed lightly this time, nodding. "Well… I'm glad you stayed for a lil' bit. My house is always open. I'll inform my wife as well so she'll let ya' in."

"Thanks." Link smiled. "I'll remember that."

Darris nodded to Link and Blue. He bowed his head and walked over to the door, opening and shutting it with a creek as he left the tavern.

Blue stood with a blank expression, her body tense. Link noticed her fists, which were balled up at her sides. They flexed as she ran her thumb over her fingers.

"So, do most of your friends hate women working on the field or something?" She glared back at Link, a spark in her eyes.

"No, no," He defended. "I'm sorry about their behavior, truly. They're men, what'd you expect?"

"Yeah right," She rolled her eyes and proceeded to the counter. She faltered for a moment from the alcohol and set the glass she was holding on the counter. Placing a green rupee next to the glass, she turned and walked toward the door.

Link sighed, taking one last sip of his bubbly red liquid before taking off after her.

Velia called out a goodbye just as Link closed the door behind him. He saw Blue walking down to the road and jogged up to her, stopping instantly when he saw a figure swish past. She stopped as well.

Link ran up to her, looking around the corner as she did.

"What was that?" He questioned.

"How am I supposed to know?" She questioned back.

He sighed at her bluntness but nodded to her in understanding. She blinked, giving him an awkward look as he stared at the figure that had ran past.

It was a man in a long black cloak, a hooded head, and a satchel hanging over his shoulder. He seemed anxious as he looked around, as if waiting for someone, or making sure he wasn't being followed.

When he turned his head, he could make out piercing red eyes and short ears, and immediately Link's heart skipped a beat.

_Gerudo_.

The Gerudo were a race of women. All born women except for one man born every one hundred years or so that had the right to be King. That's how the current King, Ganondorf, had come into power. Recently, however, the Gerudo had recruited and allowed men, and some women, from other kingdoms and countries to live there, even some Hylians that turned, so they were no longer just women.

Though for hundreds of years, Hyrule and the Gerudo have been at war, and a bloody, gruesome war at that. Why was one of 'them' running around their town? But a better question would be… _how in Din's name did he get **in**_?

"Link," Blue looked up at him. "Tell me you saw it too?"

"The eyes?" He looked down at her.

"Yeah. He's obviously Gerudo. Should we… do something?"

Link nodded, looking closely at the man. He had stopped to catch his breath, hunched over and gasping. Though by now, his gasps for breath had died down.

"We need to move quickly," He jumped out right after his sentence and took off after their target. Blue scrambled after him, tripping over her own feet as she attempted to keep up his pace.

The Gerudo man had noticed them and turned around frantically, running as fast as he could. He had long legs and kept a good distance between his attackers.

Link fiddled with a pouch in his belt, pulling out a throwing dart that he had taken from Star's bag and held it firmly in his hands. He wasn't skilled with darts, not at all, but it was the only thing he had he had he could throw with just a hint of accuracy. He closed an eye, aiming for the man's ankle. Gritting his teeth, he threw, tripping over himself in the process and falling face first into the stone road with a heavy grunt.

Blue skid to a halt and hovered over as he pushed himself up on his hands and knees, rubbing his jaw roughly.

"Son of a Din did that hurt." He commented, wincing as he spoke. "I think I chipped something."

Blue smiled lightly and left his side to run forward, and Link looked up to see the Gerudo man lying on his back, his hand clasped over his ankle. He had hit!

Instinctively, the man attempted to crawl away as Blue walked up to him, but she caught his cloak and pulled him up. He winced as weight was set onto his ankle.

"What are you doing here? Who are you? Why are you here?" She shot questions at him suddenly. The man only stared.

Link stood up and walked over to them. His eyes drifted to the man's satchel, and as he drew close, the Gerudo placed his hands over it protectively.

Blue let go of him, and the man leaned on his good foot, glaring at his attackers.

"I'm trying to deliver a letter to His Majesty." The man concluded. "This attack could be looked at as treason against Hyrule!"

"Treason?" Link tilted his head back and laughed humorlessly. "Why, I think attacking a Gerudo sneaking around Castle Town is reasonable."

The man did nothing but scowl.

"What do you have there?" Link's eyes drifted to the satchel again. "You're obviously keen on protecting it."

"None of your business!" The man shouted back, practically hissing.

"I think if it involves our King, it's our business. Now what is it?" Link grit his teeth, though pain shot through his jaw as he did.

The man winced as well as he placed weight on his pierced ankle, but he held a firm gaze, his hands still clasped over the satchel protectively.

"Well then, playing hardball I see." Link's hand shot to the sword attached to his belt. He pulled it out with a metallic hiss and slashed at the man immediately after drawing it. The Gerudo dropped his hands as the satchel was easily sliced from his shoulder and fell to the ground. Blue ran up to retrieve it.

"No! What are you doing? That's a private letter! I'm already late, come on!" The man jumped forward, but with the weight on his pierced ankle, he fell to the ground, landing on his stomach.

Blue grunted in disgust as she ran up to Link, her hand searching the contents of the bag. She pulled out a letter sealed with a dark red wax and handed it to Link. "Here,"

Link took the parchment and pried it open to reveal a long note in a barely readable scrawl. He squinted at the paper, picking out only the end.

_I'm sorry it's come to this, your Majesty, but I do believe this war has gone on for far too long. I've made arrangements for a party to come to your kingdom,and by the time you get this letter, they should just about be arriving in Hyrule. That is, if the messenger I picked is light on his feet and gets there in time. Rest assure they are of no threat, but I do not know what they will do if you deny them peace. All we are trying to do is offer a trade._

_I do believe you have a daughter, correct? Zelda, is her name? I've heard she's quite a jewel, and I would be honored to have a girl like that marry my son. We would join the Gerudo and Hyrule together, finally ending this meaningless war. All this bloodshed would be over. It would be a miracle._

_Though, I hope you do know if you deny us, we will take action. Your little Hero of Time was brutally slaughtered many years ago, and no one has come up to take his place. No new Hero? How sad. Anyway, without a proper Hero, you are defenseless. Your military is no match for ours now that most of your experienced men are dead. Dead by my blade. I hope you consider the terms I've addressed to you, and I will assure you that if you accept, we will no longer attack._

_Lord Ganondorf._

Link blinked in surprise, staring at the letter.

"What?" Blue questioned, looking down at the parchment and taking it from Link's hands to read it. "What is it?"

"The Gerudo King," Link managed to get out. "He… offering Hyrule a trade."

* * *

**_Authors Note: _**

What is this? More? I uploaded more?

Pfft. I doubt a lot of people read this anyway. xD ANYWAY...

More plot. Gogogo.

And if there are any spelling mistakes or you see a randomly placed letter like a B or an I (because I originally set this up to go on DeviantArt) and I missed it, feel free to point it out. I really suck at editing.

Oh, and sorry for the changing around of how I break up sections and all that... trying new stuff... I'll fix everything when I find something I like.

And like, seriously, I do **not** own The Legend of Zelda... but I'm sure a lot of people do. xD


	6. Chapter 6

**_Of a Hero's Ashes_**

_Chapter 6_

* * *

"Wait a minute," Blue ran her fingers through her hair as she read the note. "You know what, Ganondorf really needs to work on you know…. his people skills? You can't go around demanding the Princesses' hand in marriage, especially in a note. Who says he'd end the war?"

_Don't we all need help with people, Ganondorf_. Link thought.

"It depends on what the princess wants." He folded his arms. "And the King."

"Are they already here?" Blue turned her head to the Gerudo man, "the party of people coming to negotiate?"

The man did spat in front of her, making the Hylian girl take a step back with a grunt of disgust. He smirked.

"Indeed. Maybe there's a huge battle erupting in the castle right now?"

Link's arms immediately fell as he turned to Blue. "Go get Star, quickly!"

"But Link-"

"_Now_. Go!"

She took one look at his angered, yet worried face; stuffed the note she had into a pocket and took off down the road, gradually falling out of sight. Link turned his attention back to the man and drew his sword.

"What are you doing?" The man stared wide eyed at the sword as Link took a few steps toward him. "Killing me?"

"No," Link raised the weapon, the steel gleaming in the moonlight. "But I can't have you running off to inform your people."

He brought the hilt of the sword down on the man's head, and he unconsciously fell to the ground with a thud. Link dropped the sword, the weapon making a large clanking noise as it rattled to a halt. He leaned down to pick up the wounded, unconscious man and walked to the side of the road, picked out an empty barrel sitting on the curb and opened the lid, setting the man inside. He sealed it with a click and ran back to grab his sword, re-strapping it to his belt.

_He'll escape anyway when he regains unconsciousness, so you might as well hide him. Let's hope he stays knocked out for awhile, though_.

With frantic glances around the dull moonlit roads, he impatiently waited for his partners to return.

* * *

Blue ran down the road, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed. Taking a back road to get to Star's house quicker, she blew out torch lights with the ends of her cloak, leaving a slight smoke trail. When she caught sight of her friend's house, which stood on a corner in eerie silence, her heart skipped a beat. Tripping over her boots as she dashed up, she collapsed at the foot of the door.

"Star!" She managed to yell out, gasping, rather loud for this time of night. "Star, wake up! Come on!"

The door opened a few minutes later to reveal none other than her friend clad in thin nightclothes, pants and a shirt. She gained a worried, yet irritated face as she kneeled down next to Blue.

"Blue? What-"

"Link…" She coughed out in exhaustion. "We… we intercepted a Gerudo messenger."

"Gerudo?"

"He had a letter that was addressed to the King. There's a party of people in the castle negotiating. We think there may an attack."

Star's face went grave, and she stood up and grabbed a shawl from the back of her door. Helping Blue up, she looked around.

"Which way?"

"This way." Blue pointed in the direction from which she came. They might be able to follow the burnt out torches she put out on her way here, so as they ran, Blue looked around for completely dark back roads.

After a few minutes of running, which felt like an eternity, Blue caught sight of Link's figure impatiently waiting. He whipped his head around to see them.

"I got her, Link. Now where-"

He waved his hands to shut her up, and she opened her mouth to protest, but stopped as he gave her a glare.

"Hurry," He simply said in his light voice as he turned around and dashed off. The girls took off in a mad dash after him. He was obviously fitter and kept a good distance ahead of them, but the two were able to keep him in their sights.

However, Link stopped for a moment to catch his breath before veering them off in a random direction. Blue glanced behind at the castle, which was gradually flowing out of her sights, but when she looked forward she ended up bumping right into Link and went careening backwards into Star. Her friend flailed and shouted as she hit the ground.

"AH!"

"LINK!" Blue shouted.

He whipped his head around, his hat nearly falling off. "QUIET! For goddess' sake, you're going to alert everyone."

"Sorry," Blue sighed, brushing her outfit down. "Now why in the world are we here? You ran right past the castle."

"If we barged through the door, it wouldn't be quite bandit like, now would it?"

"Who cares if we're bandit like?" Star questioned, standing up and rubbing her backside.

"The Royal Guard wouldn't allow us through." He ignored Star, pointing the obvious that she had overlooked out. "And frankly, if we showed our faces in front of a guard, it'd be rather stupid." He said next, gesturing to the ground. "So we're going through here."

"Link, last I checked, it's kinda' hard to travel through the ground." Star commented darkly.

"Oh, for goddess' sake, Star, there's a trap door."

Star made an 'oh' sound and walked up to dirt he pointed to, kneeling down to brush it off just to reveal the wooden door. "Is it a secret passage?"

"Kind of," He smirked, "More like Royal Catacombs."

"Dear Gods' of a Din-!" She instantly jumped up and stumbled backwards, tripping over her heels and landing on her bottom again. With a panicked look, she rubbed her hands together, desperately trying to clean her hands off.

Link and Blue stared at her blankly.

"What…?" He questioned nearly in a whisper.

"Dead things… in a hole… underground…" She stumbled, nearly out of breath.

"Oh, it's not that bad, Starie'." Blue smiled. "You'll have us?"

She only stared back at them with a blank expression.

"Fine," Link crackled his knuckles and walked over to the petrified girl. He leaned down to pick her up but she rolled to the side and out of his range, kicking up dust.

"Oh-nono." She protested, still rubbing her hands. "You are **not** bringing me down there!"

"Oh yes we are," He snickered slightly as he walked over and grabbed her shirt when she tried to crawl away again. He heaved her up and positioned her over his shoulder. "Quick, open the door!"

Blue hurried over to the trap door and brushed the rocks off of it. She grabbed a hold of the rope handle and threw it open, the wood nearly cracking as it was thrown back and hit the rocks behind it with a hard clack, dirt and dust flinging off. She moved out of the way for Link as he gripped her friend harder and jumped down the hole swiftly. Blue followed in suit.

She landed with a click that echoed down a tunnel that stood in front of her. She stared into the darkness, wondering what in the world was in front of her.

Suddenly, Star's shriek pierced her ears, and she covered them since the shriek was amplified by the large echo of the tunnel.

"Star," Link's voice came out, scowling. "For goddess' sake, be **_QUIET_**." He echoed.

The shriek died down and was replaced with frantic breathing, or rather… hyperventilating.

A metallic hiss ran out, and Blue felt a hand grab her shoulder. She veered around to see Link's blue eyes staring at her. They were rather frightening, yet calm in a cobalt gaze.

"I know Star'll refuse to talk to me, so can you convince her to give me her shawl?" He asked calmly.

Blue brushed his hands off of her shoulder and turned around to look for her friend, and she caught sight of her, crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"Star?"

"… what?" Her shaky voice came out.

"I'll trade you my cloak for your shawl?"

It took her a few moments to answer, but she obliged, placing her shawl into Blue's hands and yanking the cloak off her shoulders in a jerking manner.

With a slightly irritated grunt, she walked back over to Link and placed the piece of cloth into his gloved hands. "Here you go."

He patted her shoulder in thanks and walked away. Everything was quiet for a few minutes.

"Cover your ears," He warned, "unless you want to hear a screech."

Blue covered her ears and looked in his approximate direction. He raised his sword and positioned the blade on the wall. Applying pressure, he scratched it backwards against the walls, creating sparks as it rubbed against the brick. She could still hear the screech through her hands, but she was more interested on what he was trying to do.

With a few more scrapes against the wall, the shawl suddenly caught flame and provided light as a makeshift torch. He blew on it carefully. The cloth was positioned on the sword as it burned slowly, flickering off the steel gracefully.

Star stood up as light came over her. She blinked and stared at her flaming shawl, her jaw dropping.

"Good idea!" Blue exclaimed, taking the hands off her ears. "Where'd you learn that?"

"You learn a lot on the streets." He said simply as he pushed past the girls. Blue frowned slightly at his bluntness, but followed anyway. Star walked along, whimpering as she looked around the dark tunnels that were lighted by the flame only slightly.

"That was mine! The thing you're burning!" She protested, nearly whispering.

Link walked at a casual pace; ignoring her while glancing back at his followers ever so slightly to make sure they were still there. Blue was looking around the dimly lit catacombs with wonder, and she caught Link's eye once when he looked back.

"Link," She addressed him as he whipped his head back around. "Where'd you learn about this place?"

"Like I said, you learn a lot on the streets."

Frowning again at the blunt tone in his voice, she attempted to get through to him. "Do the others know about this stuff?"

"No." He replied simply again.

"Link, seriously, we can't trust you if-"

"Shh," He silenced her as he came to an abrupt stop. He held the sword out further, and as Star came to a stop, she shrieked again.

Skeletons. Skeletons by the hundreds. Unmoving. Dead.

"What in the-?" Blue shouted after Star's shriek. "What is this?"

"They're called Catacombs for a reason." Link looked back at them. "But that isn't why I stopped."

"Then why-"

"Shh," He interrupted Blue again, looking off into the darkness in front of them. The makeshift torch burned less brightly by now, but it still offered an aura of light. "Listen…"

As his voice died off, Blue strained her ears. It took her a minute to catch what he was talking about, but it was there. Humming…

_Urrrnnnn uhrnnnnnnn… uhmmmmmm…_

"What is that?" She questioned, looking at Link with a panicked face. "It's not alive, is it?"

"No, it's not alive." He reassured.

"Then what is it?"

He only stared at her for a few moments, his expression offering little support for her growing fears.

"Reanimated." He concluded.

"Undead?" Star's panicked voice rose. "What? What? You have to be kidding me!"

"Star, calm down," He gazed at her next. "It won't help anything. Keep close to me, don't stray from the light."

The trio proceeded down the hall carefully, and as they walked, Blue could hear the humming and groaning get gradually louder, and her feeling of fear grew as well as she felt sweat appear on her forehead, her heart pumping in her throat.

_What on earth have I gotten into? This just proves I shouldn't be adventurous_.

Suddenly, a pair of skeleton hands reached out from the wall they were walking next to, aimed for Link's neck. The boy had little time to react, and the boney fingers clasped around his throat in a death grip. The sword/torch fell from his hands and clanked onto the ground, the flame flickering and almost going out. Blue and Star gasped, jumping back.

"Stalfos!" Star screamed as she jumped back.

"Wait, you know what they are? I thought you were terrified of them!"

"I study the things I fear, Blue, to know what they are. That's the reason I studied Throwing Darts, and now I don't mind them…" Her voice trailed off.

"G-IRLS!" Link choked out. Blue went wide eyed and looked around helplessly for something to help him. The boney creature was now roaring in a throaty voice, and Star had collapsed to her knees on the floor.

Pulling a dagger from her belt, she rushed forward, stabbing down at the creature's skull.

It missed horribly, almost hitting Link as it veered to the side.

_Din it all! Stupid weapons_!

He looked up at her, attempting to say something, but his face was turning redder by the second.

She threw the dagger aside and grabbed the Stalfos' skull with her hands, flinching as she touched the undead thing. With a grunt, she heaved backwards, pulling the Stalfos down with her weight. Unfortunately, it still had its grip on Link and pulled him down as well. She then reached for the hands of the undead, but with all her attempts to get it to let go were in vain.

_I can't get it! Come on!_ She thought to herself in a panicked haze. _No!_

Then, a flash of light flickered over the area. Blue looked up to the Stalfos' face, and it was illuminating in a way that was almost breathtaking. Beams of light flowed from its eye sockets, nose, its mouth, and every other opening it had in its skull. Its grip on Link faded as it let go and jerked back, letting out a screech.

Link fell backwards onto the floor, gasping for breath painfully in horrifying, heavy heaves. Blue kneeled next to him, but kept her eyes on the skeleton.

Holding the sword/torch inside the Stalfos' head… was Star. She threw her arms upwards, bringing the sword and flames with her. It burst out through the face of the undead skull, splitting it completely in half in a horrifying crack. The skeleton faltered for a moment before it fell to the ground in a pile of bones.

Blue stared in amazement, and when Link finally regained his senses he blinked at the girl as well.

The shawl had flown off the sword and was now burning in a pile a few feet down the tunnel, and Star held the sword firmly in her hands. She stared at the bones for a few blank, uninterrupted minutes before she fainted, falling to the ground in a heap.

"Star!" Blue shouted and ran over to her. "Star? What happened? Wake up!" She went to her knees and grabbed a hold of her friend's shirt, shaking her helplessly. "Get up!"

"Blue, stop!" Link yelled out, a hand on the marks in his neck. "Grab her and hurry! Stalfos don't stay down for long! We need to get out of here!"

Blue looked at the bones, which were now rattling. She tucked her hands under her unconscious friend and hauled her up, grunting at the weight but managing to stand and run after Link, who had moved to pick up his sword and reattach the flaming shawl.

They ran for what it seemed like forever, but when Link finally came to a stop, Blue tumbled to the ground, dropping her friend in the process. Link looked back at them in surprise, his expression now calm.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Bah…" Blue coughed out painfully, smirking, "I've… been through worse... not really."

Link walked over and offered a hand, and she took it, pulling herself up. She looked at his face and was relieved that it had regained its normal color. He smiled weakly, and hint of amusement twinkled in his eyes.

The humming in the background, however, had not ceased.

"We should keep moving." His light worried voice came up as he glanced over his shoulder. "I'll grab Star, don't worry. You carry this."

He shoved the sword into Blue's hands and walked over to Star to pick her up. Blue blinked as the weapon was placed in her hands, and she immediately tensed.

"Oh Blue," Link chuckled lightly. "It's not going to bite. I'll lead the way, just keep close so we can see ahead… and let's… avoid the walls… please."

Blue smiled slightly, relieved that he could revert back to his old self so quickly. Though, it didn't surprise her. Who knows how much he had gone through on the streets?

Link walked up, Star cradled in his arms. He raised an eyebrow as Blue just stood there, his smile widening a bit. It took a moment for Blue to register, but she finally caught on, blushing as she turned around and started walking. She hard Link's chuckle behind her again as she illuminated their path.

_Oooh, Din_.

* * *

**_Authors Notes:_**

Do NOT ask. I am a very random woman.

Anyway~ more uploaded. This is a smaller chapter it seems...

Oh well...

I do **not** own The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo does.

I'm so breaking out my N64 now...


	7. Chapter 7

__

**_Of a Hero's Ashes_**

_Chapter 7_

* * *

Link and Blue walked along in silence as the shawl on the end of the sword slowly burned out. When it finally ceased to burn, Blue stopped. She looked behind to catch his azure gaze as he fixed it on hers.

The humming was growing every second, and Blue couldn't help but let out her fears.

"Link, I don't know if I can do this anymore. My friend is unconscious in your arms, you were just attacked by a random skeleton, Hyrule is in trouble, the King is in danger, I-"

"Shh, Blue. We're almost there. And when we get there, we'll warn the King. Do you still have the letter?" He asked in a voice every so light.

"Yeah," She hesitated to respond. "But how are we supposed to find our way through the rest of the Catacombs?"

His eyes closed for a moment in thought, but he reopened them just before Blue was about to let out another panicked rant.

"Hold the sword downward, aimed for the ground and drag it across the floor. It should create a few sparks as we walk. It won't be much, but it's better than nothing."

Holding the sword downward behind her, she scraped it across the floor, a metallic screech happening just as it did when Link had scraped it across the brick walls, but it created sparks that lit up the area in dim flashes for a moment.

"See?"

"Does everything you do involve the use of a sword?" She questioned with slight wonder.

"… Not everything. But it comes in handy."

With a smile she turned around and started walking again, dragging the sword behind her. It made a horrible noise as they walked, but at least it drowned out the eerie humming that made her immensely nervous, and she tensed when she felt Link's gaze on the back of her head, with that smirk plastered on his face. Her terror was his amusement, wasn't it?

She cringed as a headache formed in the back of her head from the sword, but at least it provided light.

After another few minutes of walking, Link's voice came out.

"Stop," He commanded loudly. "We're here."

As soon as the noise stopped, Blue felt her ears twitch in relief. The humming was loud now, but it didn't matter. She was just happy it was a soft sound.

"See the beam of light just above?" He looked upward. Blue followed his gaze and caught sight of a dim, yet present trap door, just like the one they entered in.

"Yeah?"

"Open it, but make sure no one sees you pop out. It'd be somewhat creepy if someone found you."

She smirked in amusement at his slight joke, but the smirk faded as she reached up for the handle and pushed the door open. It made a loud clack. She jumped up to the hole, but her height failed to reach the requirement to pull herself out. She threw the sword in her hands up and out.

"I need a little help," She asked with a slight, worried laugh.

Link set Star carefully on the ground and held out his hands for her to step on. She jumped up on his palms and he threw her upward. She grasped a hold of the edge and pulled herself up on the tile of the castle floor.

The castle was incredibly bright, making Blue squint her eyes. In reality it probably wasn't that bright, but walking in black Catacombs for at least an hour made it seem so.

She took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching before she reached back down into the hole to grab a hold of her unconscious friend. She yanked Star up and laid her back down on the tile carefully. Next was Link, who, even with his physical appearance, couldn't make it all the way out without help. She caught a hold of his wrist and yanked him upward as well, gritting her teeth at his weight. When he caught the edge of the door his weight seemed to lessen, and he pulled himself up the rest of the way.

He turned around and put the trap door back into its place. It had a tile cover as well, so when he put it back into place it blended right in with the existing tile around it.

"Be careful. Any noise we make could give us away."

Blue stood up as he walked over to grab his sword and strap it to his belt. She smiled as he moved to pick up Star and turned to back to her.

"Follow me,"

They padded quietly down the castle corridors blindly. Link didn't appear to have any sense of direction, but he was still determined to stick to the path he had set out. Blue followed without question.

They eluded a few maids in their path, and they never showed any sign of detecting them. Except for one, who tensed as Blue tripped over her own feet and landed on her soles with a quick thud and a gasp of relief. The maid looked around warily, but went back to her work after she gave a slight shrug.

Link gave her a menacing look. She smiled weakly in regret.

They continued, and when they were walking stealthily around the more secluded areas of the castle, the humming they had heard in the Catacombs picked back up.

Blue opened her mouth to question, but quickly realized it would give them away and shut her mouth.

"_Your Majesty, please_," A menacing, gruff voice pleaded, "_We only wish to help Hyrule and the Gerudo_."

"You expect me to believe that?" The King's voice, low and gruff as well came out. "You walk into my Kingdom and demand my daughter's hand _and _for Hyrule to basically surrender to your whim?"

No one answered him. The sound of a chair creaking against the tile floor sounded out, and heavy footsteps right after.

"Because that is what it sounds like, good sirs." The King spoke out again after the footsteps ceased.

A slight snicker came out, and a lighter voice took the scene. "What a shame, His Highness is so narrow minded."

A grunt was issued.

"Narrow minded? More like-"

"Enough!" The King interrupted, his tone rising in anger by the moment. "You will **not **come into **my **kingdom and disrespect me as such!"

Link set Star on the ground carefully, pulling out his sword and holding it ready in his left hand. Blue placed a hand on his right shoulder.

There was silence for a few seconds, but eventually, the first menacing voice picked up again.

"I am terribly sorry you're Highness," It said respectfully. "We will take our leave then."

The sound of at least half a dozen chairs scraping against the tile sounded out and the heavy footsteps of boots to the door on the opposite end of the room.

Then, a gasp, and the sounds of struggle happened.

_The attack!_

Link burst into action, sword in hand. He released a light cry, and Blue felt her hand fall off his shoulder. She took one glance at Star and leapt into action herself.

Her assumptions were right. Six men, all different sizes, stood in front of her. One had his hand clasped around the King's throat, threatening to strangle him. The others were fanned out around the room.

One in particular, a large Gerudo man, smirked as wide as he could have possibly managed. He was clad in dark plated armor, which gleamed against the torches and candles lit across the room. His small beard was very well kept and lined his face in dark red streaks.

"Company?" He questioned. "And who are you?"

"None of your business! Release our King!" Link spat out angrily.

"Bahahaha!" His low voice rang out. "If that your voice? Come on! Say something again, it's so amusing."

Link looked infuriated, his back straightening a bit. Blue took her position next to him.

The man's eyes fell on her, and she visibly tensed.

"Is this Princess Zelda?" He questioned, bringing his right hand to his beard to stroke it thoughtfully. "My, my… I expected something… prettier."

Blue felt her anger flare for a moment, a mixture of emotions welling inside her. She couldn't lash out, though, and she had to hold her tongue. The King's life was in danger. Hyrule _itself _was in danger.

"No," She managed to seethe out. "And you're lucky you have the King hostage right now."

All the man did was smirk.

"Allow me to introduce myself then." He bowed. "I am Lord Ganondorf," He raised his head ever so slightly to glare at the teens as he looked at them, his eyes tilted upwards. "King of the Gerudo."

Link's grip on the sword tightened, and Blue felt her hands clench.

_King? Gerudo?_

"Now, might I take a guess at your name, young man?" Ganondorf held his smirk as he straightened, making fun of Link yet again.

Link was heaving with anger, and Blue was surprised he hadn't launched at the Gerudo King yet.

"No," He managed to growl out, low and uneven.

"That's a shame, Link," He paused, "I only wanted to guess."

Blue took a quick sideways look at Link, and he wore a shocked expression.

"How… do you know?"

"I know a lot about you, Link."

Link grit his teeth, and Blue could _feel _the tension swarming around him.

"How?" He seethed.

Ganondorf smirked. "Boy, you have a lot to learn."

"How do you know more about me than _I _do?"

The King did nothing but give a warm gesture with his hands. "Why, you'll learn. You can't hide from your destiny for too long."

As the Gerudo continued to taunt Link, Blue moved to Link's left side and placed her hand on his, which was now holding the sword. If he held it any tighter it would imbed itself in his hand. He looked at her with his eye, not moving his face. The blue pools were aflame, and it didn't fade at all when he looked at her.

She shook her head at him, but all he did was jerk his hand away from hers and look back at Ganondorf.

"Quiet." He practically scolded. "Now."

Ganondorf stopped talking and looked at the boy agape.

"Did you just silence me?" All comedy was gone from his voice.

"I said be _**quiet**_." He scolded again. "I'm tired."

"Tired?"

"I'm tired of being humiliated! Made fun of! I'm sick and freaking tired! I shouldn't have to sit through this! I'm trying to be a better person, and all I get is crap slung back in my face!"

Ganondorf raised a red eyebrow, his face twisting in amusement.

"And I certainly will not sit here and listen to you!"

"Link!" Blue yelled out. "Stop! You're going to-"

"BAHAHAHAHA!" Ganondorf laughed out, hard and loud. The five other Gerudo in the room snickered at their King, but did not join him in hysterics.

Link couldn't hold himself back anymore. Blue grabbed the hilt of his sword, but he ripped it out of her hand and thrust forward, slashing horizontally. Ganondorf slid to the side to avoid Link's sudden attack, but he pulled out a sword from his black cape, laughing the entire time.

Their swords clashed, sparks flying as Link let out his anger. Everyone in the room stared, and as one Gerudo stepped forward, Ganondorf told him not to interfere.

_Link! What in Din's name…?_

Link dug his hands into a pouch, pulling out a throwing dart he had taken from Star's bag. Aimed for the Gerudo King's head, he flung it, but the man was laughing, and all he did was raise his hand to catch it. The teenage boy stared with wide eyes as Ganondorf tossed the little weapon aside.

"Those should be left for child's games, Link, not weapons."

All Link did was scowl and throw himself at Ganondorf again. The King was obviously skilled in fighting, and he grabbed Link's shirt collar and held him up for a few moment before throwing him to the side. Blue gasped as he landed on his back at her feet with a grunt.

"You have a lot to learn, boy." Genondorf laughed out maniacally as he slowly… ever so slowly made his way to Hyrule's King. Blue's heart thumped.

"Grab them," Were his only orders to his men, "and bring them here to the pathetic Hylian King."

Blue and Link were seized by two of them, and she felt a familiar sense of de'ja'vu.

It was like they were being arrested again.

But as they were slowly dragged to their King, Blue's heart began to beat faster. What was he planning? What were they doing?

"Ah," Ganondorf sighed as Blue and Link were positioned next to the King. "Very nice."

Link roared at him, "You no good hearted _bastard_!"

It was then Blue began to question herself.

_What on earth were you thinking, Oscabellow? You could have left Link alone and you could be sleeping pleasantly in your bed right now instead of being the center of this plot! Stupid, stupid, stupid_… she continued to internally kick herself. No matter how much she liked to be adventurous, this was taking it too far.

"Now, would you kindly help me?" Ganondorf's mocking voice came out ever so gently. He grabbed a hold of Link's hand, and Blue's hand was grabbed by one of the other men. They pulled both of them to the hilt of Ganondorf's sword and forced them to wield it. Blue flinched as a Gerudo placed his hands over her's.

"I know it's rather cliché," The Evil King bellowed, "But you're going to help me kill this blasted Hylian King."

Blue's blood ran cold, and Link's hand twisted as he attempted to pull away, but his hand was held firmly in place.

"No!" He protested, twisting and squirming in protest. Blue felt numb, and she couldn't move. All she did was gawk at the hilt of the sword, looking at the metal and steel as the candlelight flickered off of it.

What had she gotten into?

She was going to be a killer…

_A killer… a… killer..._

_A killer… is killing the King…_

_How fitting_…

"No…" She mimicked Link, but hers was no more than a whisper.

"Oh no-no, you two will be perfect. Don't worry." Ganondorf sneered. He grabbed the blade of the sword with his heavily gloved hands and pulled it to the Hylian King's neck.

"Your Majesty…" Blue whispered out, staring at him in horror. The King stared back, his expression… expressionless…

Link had no words this time. He ceased his squirming and took heaving breaths.

Blue closed her eyes as she felt the sword press against her King's neck. In one swift motion… the sword pressed even harder, and she could hear a blood gurgling cry from the victim.

Then she felt something flow down her hand, hot and wet… the hand holding the sword.

_Blood_…

She opened her eyes, and what she saw was pure horror… pure darkness… something you'd only see in a nightmare.

Her King… his neck slit with a sword lodged in his neck, blood flowing from it freely down his robes. The sword _she _and Link were holding.

She suddenly began to shake when Link and her were let go. She immediately took her hand back and stared at it, shaking even more when she could see the blood clearly… the candlelight reflecting off of its dark red surface just as the metal of the sword did.

Link was visibly shaking as well, and he had an expression she just couldn't comprehend. Whether it was unreadable or her mind was just in too much of a shock to care. He was mouthing words she couldn't make out either, as if he just couldn't comprehend either.

"I thank you greatly, my friends." Ganondorf's voice rang out. Blue could barely hear him as her ears felt hot, as if they were burning.

_How fitting…_

_Our King killed by a cold hearted… killer_...

Then it struck her, and her blood ran even colder, if it could.

_Killer**s**_…

* * *

**_Authors Note_:**

I seriously think I go through action scenes too quickly. I should take more time to describe them... or I just read really, really fast...

Anyway, now that this part has gone by, we can get to the main plot! Yaaay! xD

And I so did kill him.

I do **not**

own Zelda.


End file.
